Goddess Core
by The Mysterious Mr DxD
Summary: Many humans dream of becoming a hero. One that can fight alongside there beloved CPUs, and to maintain peace in Gamindustri...But for Ryou, let's just say he's a bit different. (Current Arc: Zero Dimension) M-Rating for lemons to come in the future.
1. The Group LOGIN

Author's Note (Update December 31st 2015)- Sup readers thanks for checking out the fic. Each chapter is going to be anywhere from 4-8k words so don't expect daily updates they'll most likely be weekly possibly 3 chapters a month to give you a rough estimate. "Authors Notes" aren't going to come as often anymore as I feel they take up too much space, however they'll show up if I have something important to address or if a reader asks a question in a review.

Originally I was going to make this a sort of Final Fantasy Crisis Core kind of fic but I realized it wouldn't fit well with what I wanted in the long run. I more or less want to put out an action/harem/romance since those are pretty much my forte and my guilty pleasures in anime. The only difference between those generic types of genres is that I plan on having this story have a plot and not just make my OCs generic cardboard cut out anime tropes. In other words if your looking for a fantasy story with twists,turns,OCs,action scenes,a little perverted references and some romance build then your in for a ride.

Also this is going to be a long series (a lot of chapters planned) so I will be diving into Victory 2 eventually in fact I've already made some references to it in some chapters. So that's all you need to know for now, any other questions or concerns leave it in a review or PM me, alright enjoy!

* * *

Gamindustri...

Here in this realm resides 4 landmasses, each one governed by Goddesses known as the CPUs (Console Patron Units), as well as there younger sisters, the CPU Candidates.

Lastation- The land of Black Regality, ruled by CPU Black Heart and CPU Candidate, Black Sister.

Lowee- The land of White Serinity, ruled by CPU White Heart and twin CPU Candidates, White Sisters.

Leanbox- The land of Green Pastures, ruled solely by CPU Green Heart.

Planeptune- The land of Purple Progress, ruled by CPU Purple Heart and CPU Candidate, Purple Sister.

Here, they've fought endlessly in battle for many years, centuries even, for rule over Gameindustri. This is well known, as the Console War. They've all fought fiercely, doing whatever they could to defeat the rest.

Unfortunately, as time went on, they began to realize that they're fighting is starting to take a huge toll on Gameindustri as a whole. Many humans fought and died in the war for the sake of there Goddess. Familys ruined, lovers torn apart, friendships destroyed, and with all the deaths made, The worlds Shares, the very thing that givs CPUs there strength, as well as there lives, started to diminish greatly. All of this, culminated due to there own selfishness.

Fearing for there lives and guilt-ridden, they've ceased there attacks and, for the first time in centuries, they've actually sat down and got to know one another. While all of them didn't get along at first, but over time, they began to see each other in different lights, and as a result they've became great friends with one another.

And then, the day came. The day that the Console War was finally put to rest. They've gathered together and signed what is known as the "Friendship Treaty", one that states that they shall never take the others shares by force, and would always honor there bonds for the rest of eternity.

Since that day, peace in Gameindustri was finally achieved...but alas, the scars of the past run deep, and the repercussions of the war are a lot more severe than anyone would imagine.

 **-Many months later-**

Right now, in just a glance, Planeptune looks just as OK and cheery as it usually is. But if one could look closely on a certain street, we could see a certain candidate walking down looking about as depressed as she's ever been.

"*sigh* Goodness, today just isn't my day at all." Nepgear said as she just dragged her feet, going no where in general, letting her mind wander a bit before she recalled a certain 'event' that involved her ever-lovable older sister.

 **-FlashBack-**

"Ugh, geez Nep, when the hell are you gonna get off the system and get some work done? It's been a while since the treaty and you haven't done squat." IF told the young CPU with a rather irritated look, while the purple tween simply just continued on playing without a care in the world.

"Hold on a minute Iffy. Just gotta take care of this boss here. Hua! Come here you little booger!"

"Nep-Nep, I think you need to get off now." Compa insisted.

"Just hold your horses, just a little more-" Before she could finished, the entire TV screen went black and the console was shut completely off.

"Nepu!? What happened!? Did I hit a glitch that turns everything off or something?"

"No, I simply unplugged the entire thing, as difficult as it was." Said Histoire as she came from behind the TV with an even more irritated look.

"Aw, whatcha do that for, Histy?"

"Neptune, you've been slacking off for far too long, it's time you got back to work!" The tome fairy exclaimed, clearly showing she's getting fed up with Neptunes lazy behavior. Having her do all the work by herself didn't help...well, mostly by herself.

"Aw come on. That's totally unfair!"

"Neptune, as this landmasses CPU, you ought to be setting an example for your people, not just laze around all day like a bum."

"She's right Nep. The treaty might've been a huge success, but you can't just be playing games and acting like nothing else is wrong."

"Hey, why are you two ganging up on me like this!? Man, this is jus-" As Neptune raised her hand to put it behind her head, she hit something rather hard that was heading her way and from a squish sound, everyone could tell it was nearby. She turned her head around to see what it was...

"Pfft *snickers*" only to try and hold back her laughter when she realized it was Nepgear...who is now covered in egg-flavored pudding, and looks like she was about to cry. Neptune had asked for pudding earlier, and with Nepgear being the kind, spoiling younger sister she is, happily obliged. Though she wasn't expecting her kindness to be slammed back in her face like this.

"Ehehehe, hahahahahaha! Oh man Nep Jr, you look so silly!"

"Nep-Nep, that isn't funny. Are you OK Ge-Ge?" Compa asked as she went towards the candidate in worry, and the other two occupants just face-palmed at these turn of events.

"I...*sniff* I..." Before anyone could react, Nepgear was already out of the room, leaving a confused Neptune, a worried Compa and a now more than annoyed IF and Histoire behind.

 **-Flash back end-**

She got herself clean of the pudding a little afterwards and decided to go out for a walk to calm down. But even still, as she walked, she not only got herself drenched in water from a busted fire hydrant, had a potted plant fall on her head, and any other acme gags one could think of. She could never recall having a day like this in her life.

"I know I have a pretty bad luck stat, but this is all just so ridiculous." She said as she continued to walk.

*bump*

"Ah!" only to accidentally bump shoulders with an oncoming passerby with black spiky hair.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you, I'm just-"

The boy turned around, he was tall with a lean body in an all black uniform consisting of a T-shirt, vest, baggy pants, a single leather pauldron to his left and black boots. The top of his plain black uniform was short sleeved which showed off his biceps. They weren't close to being a bodybuilder or muscle head status, but they were well toned, something Nepgear immediately took notice of. next to his chest which looked equally as built, was a thin necklace with two silver rings. His eye's were a shade of blue that Nepgear hadn't seen in an ordinary NPC before, though to be fair she didn't spend much time gazing at his eyes. She was more interested in his...other attributes.

"Whatever." the boy with dark black hair said as he began to walk away without a care in the world, practically ignoring Nepgears very existence.

"Oh um, okay then. Well..."

"Hey..." the boy stops and looked back at Nepgear, prompting her to look back at him.

"Don't be such a push over. If you keep that little Girl-next-door act, you're going to have people step all over you like a lilac-colored doormat." he gives her a devious smirk and chuckles a bit, as if belittling Planeptunes CPU candidate.

"Um...well. I..."

"Eh, there you go doing it again. Man you really are a lost cause. Looks like you'll be left with the role of butt monkey after all." the boy places his palm on his head sarcastically still bashing Nepgear, taking another jab at her already low self esteem.

"I-I..." she stuttered once again, thinking back to what happened this morning with her sister Neptune.

"I-I?, that all you going to say? Ha-huh?" the boy had no time to finish his laugh, as soon as he saw the first tear drop hit the floor he quickly halted his insults.

"*sniffs* Why are you being so mean?" you could barely make out what Nepgear was saying between the sobbing and low tone in her voice.

"H-Hey, why are you freaking crying?! Cut that out!" the boy began to feel very awkward, even a little bad, not that he'd ever admit to that.

"Gah, whatever. that's why I don't talk to girls, it's always something. I swear as soon as I finish my job here, I'm out of this pretentious nation! Why he dragged me all the way the hell outta here is beyond me." He angrily walked away leaving a self esteem broken Nepgear standing alone, with some passerby's just looking by and some even whispering to themselves.

"Poor girl." "A lovers quarrel." "that's youth for ya." were some of the things Nepgear heard. A lovers quarrel? with him? Yeah right.

"Tch, what a pain in the ass. Do I really need to be in such a bizarre nation? I mean blegh, this whole atmosphere is really getting under my goddamn-" the boy ranted under his breath as he continued to drag his feet past the bright and cheery streets of the advance nation.

*Ring*Ring*Ring*

"What does he want now?" the boy spoke as he dug his phone out of his pocket. Looking at the caller ID spelling "Yamato", he could only sigh as he pressed the answer button and raised it to his ear.

"Y'ello?"

"Sorry to drop this on you Ryou, but I'm a little held up at the moment."

"What is it now? You helping some little old lady across the street?" Ryou teased.

"Are you teasing a schoolgirl right now? Hehe." Only to get teased back, causing the teen to double back a bit knowing that he just did the opposite literally a few seconds ago.

"Aw, shut it Yamato!"

"Anyways, I think I'll be back in about an hour. We'll meet at the Basilicom around that time. Sound good?" Yamato asked.

"Fine whatever." Ryou said as he was about to hang up.

"Also, try to stay out of trouble this time. Remember the last time? I can still remember Ms. Jinguji ringing up both out for it."

"Urg, why'd you have to zero in on that!? I already apologized like a thousand times already!"

"Use some discretion."

"Yeah, yeah." Ryou replies as he hangs up.

"Geez, he acts like he's my dad or something." He said as he walked away in a huff. He would normally have a lot more to say, but he is probably the only person he respects enough to not warrant his usual BS...or practically the only person he respects in general.

"Welp, guess I better entertain myself for a little while longer." he gave a loud sigh as he began to stretch.

"Hey! Let me go!"

The disgruntled sound of a girl quickly stopped the boys mini R&R.

"Great, what now!" he gave another sigh as he decided to follow the commotion. He was lead to an alley where two very well built teenagers seemed to be harassing a girl with red eyes and black pigtails. One had brown hair and the other blonde. They looked identical from what Ryou could tell.

"I said let go!" there was another shout from the raven haired girl who was being preyed on.

"AGH!" one of the teens let go of her right arm as the other one's smirk soon turned into a look of anger.

"You little bitch!" the teens were now furious, it would seem that the raven haired girl had pulled something out of her bag of tricks and injured one of them, though in all honesty, how wise was that?

She had no place to go. The alley she was in was blocked out and the path leading out was too narrow. There was practically no escape.

"We were just going to ask for a phone number, maybe even a little kiss. But now, were going to take our time and have fun with you right younger brother?" one of the well built teens said as he began licking his chops, looking at the girl like a piece of meat he was ready to devour.

"Hehe, that's right older brother." he had the same malicious look and no doubt same malicious intent.

"Damn it...you stupid girl." Ryou looked on as he began to wonder if he should get involved. "Well, why not I guess. Alright, hero time then-"

But before he could take another step to rescue the damsel in distress, a blinding flash of light surrounded her, and the next thing Ryou knew, her appearance drastically changed, now wearing some sort of black, skin-tight swimsuit, her hair was silverish white with drills in place of pigtails and her eyes were now lime-green with power symbols in the middle.

"Whohohoa, now this is going to ge-"Before the older of the two could say anymore, she pulled out what looks like a monstrous railgun from out of nowhere and pointed it at both of them.

"You wanna run that by me again?" The girl asked, no longer in the mood for bullshit.

"Tch, bitch!" The older brother just simply charged at her with few hesitations...

*Bang*

"Aaaaaaaahh!" Only to get shot in the knee, and her shot can be best described as not only as one of an expert marksman, but the power of her gun has the power of a shotgun, and the range/accuracy of a sniper rifle. She simply walked past him as the older brother just got onto the floor and kept clenching his knee for dear, and she just pointed her gun so close to the younger one, he could practically see the bullet in the chamber.

"How about you?" She asked this time practically daring the poor sap to try anything.

*urinating sound*

"What the-EW!" She back away a bit when she sees that the guy just pissed himself in pure terror.

"Blegh, gross dude." Ryou commented while placing his hand on his forehead and letting a snicker pass by his lips, as the younger brother backed up and high-tailed it out of there, all the while screaming like a baby.

"Hmph, serves you right. Hmm?" Soon after he left, she noticed that the older one was right behind her now...to be more specific, he's still on the floor, looking straight up her butt with a goofy look on his face.

"PERV!" Before he knew what hit him, she raised her left foot and slammed it into his face and sent him flying all the way to the back of the alley, straight into a garbage can. Ryou stood still watching the antics unfold while having an awkward smile on his face.

"Yeah, it's official, this place is the definition of bizarre." he snickered a bit then turned around preparing to depart. However just as he was about to be on his way a bullet flew right at him.

"Hey, what the hell's your problem you psycho bitch?!" Ryou screamed as he barely dodged the bullet.

"Unless you want a taste of what your friends got, I suggest you get the hell out of here."

"Uh, one, I'm not with those losers and two, what the hell did you think I was about to do-"

*Bang*

"Whoa, what the fuck!"

"I said get lost!" She shouted, no longer in the mood for banter.

"Guess I'm gonna hafta make you calm the hell down." Ryou said in a cocky fashion thinking it was a chance to get some much needed exercise.

 **-Meanwhile, a few minutes prior-**

"Man, Nep really needs to learn when to call it quits."

"Do you think Nep-Nep will be OK?"

"Probably not. Knowing Histoire, she's probably getting chewed out like old newspaper." IF said as she and Compa walked down to the Guild. A few moments after Nepgear ran out, Histoire calmly told the two of them to leave for a while, and IF immediately recognized her tone as if she were about to blow. They complied, with Neptune trying to sneak out, only to be stopped by a tug of the ear from her oracle. As soon as they closed the door, they could practically hear her screaming at Neptune. As much as they're her friends, they didn't want to be at the wrong end of Histoires wrath, so they decided to head to the Guild and do some quests to pass the time. As for Nepgear, IF suggested that they'd give her some space for now to calm down.

"Anyways, grab whatever quests you can and lets get going, alright?"

"Roger Iffy!" Compa answered in her usual cheery tone. As they made there way into the Guild, IF was sifting through some of the quests, only to come across and important A-Rank quest that needed to be taken care of ASAP. She was about to press the accept button, but another hand reached out for it as well and nearly touched her as they both retracted from eachother.

"Huh?" IF said as she took a look at who's hand it was. It revealed to be a young man of at least 18 years of age, who is as about as tall as Vert, if only an inch taller, with a lean, if a bit skinny build. He has pale white skin, messy dirty blonde hair that reaches to the back of his neck, and pale blue eyes. He wears a short-sleeved, light-grey shirt under a jet-black jacket vest, two identical tan gloves on each hand, dark blue baggy pants, tan boots, and two brown and silver interconnecting belts. What really stood out was the fact that those belts seemed to keep a rather large sword in place just right behind him, with the sword itself looking like a stylized 4-foot long broadsword with a steel handle, a straight yet slightly bulky guard and from the shape of the scabbard, the blade itself is at least eight inches wide and about half of an inch thick, and the blade end was flat yet sharp like a guillotine.

"Oh, sorry miss, am I in your way?" The stoic man asked, causing the young Guild agent to shake herself out of it.

"Oh, no your not I was-"

"Iffy, is everything OK?" Compa walked up and asked her childhood friend.

"Iffy? Well that's an unusual name, even in these part." The young man chuckled as IF blushed up a bit.

"It's IF! Iffys just a nickname my friend here uses for me."

"Oh, that makes more sense." He said as Compa finally took notice of him.

"Oh, hello there sir. Didn't see you there. I'm Compa!" The nurse in training said extending a hand in greeting, with the man himself returning the gesture in kind with a firm grip.

"Nice to meet you Compa, IF. I'm Yamato Kisaragi." He said as he introduced himself to the pair of girls.

"Well, nice to meet you too Mr. Yamato!"

"Same here. Nice to meet ya Yamato. So I take it you were going to accept the quest there?" IF asked.

"Yes, although reading the description here, it looks like it might not be wise to attempt this alone. Mind if I joined you two?" Yamato asked in return, with IF taking a look at what they were dealing with. Apparently there is a high-level monster causing havoc in a nearby cave and needs to be dealt with ASAP. the description even said that a party of at least 3 or more is recommended.

"Huh. Well that's pretty convenient, but if it makes the job easier, I'd take it. Alright then Yamato, you're welcome to join us."

"Gladly." He answered as he hit the accept button, with the computer recognizing that he is now a part of there group.

"Nice to have you with us Mr. Yamato. You'd make a great addition to our party for sure!" Compa exclaimed, happy to have a new addition to there group, even if its only a temporary thing.

"Alright, now that that's settled-"

"Hang on a moment."

"Hm? What's up?"

"I got to make a quick call. Do you two mind?"

"No sure, go on ahead." IF said, leading Yamato to pull out his cellphone from his vest pocket and quickly dial a number and putting the phone to his ear. they couldn't hear much, but they could at least tell that the person he was calling was a bit of a loud-mouth. The only thing they could hear from him was "Use some discretion.". After that, he hung up and walked back to them.

"Alright, both of you ready?"

"Yeah. Let's move out."

"Roger!" both he and Compa answered her as they walked out, with Yamato being more formal and a bit soldier like, and Compa being a little more casual and carefree.

("In truth, while I might have a bit of difficulty, I can do this on my own, but I fear of what may happen if these two take this on there own. Goddess knows I've already got a lot of things plaguing me.") He somberly thought to himself, as the three of them walked out of the Guild and made there way to there destination.

 **-Back At The Alley-**

Ryou charged straight at the girl with the overly large gun and drill-like pigtails, all the while narrowly dodging in-coming fire. As soon as he was in arms reach, she tried to kick him away, only for him to vanish the instant it looked like her foot made contact with his face. The next instant, she felt herself being tackled to the ground by Ryou, who turns out just crouched under her and launched himself at her. As soon as her senses came back to her, she soon noticed that they were now in a *ahem* rather compromising position, with his legs in-between hers and his arm holding hers down. Time stood still as Ryou continued to glare down at the girl as she transformed back into her previous look and became quite red and, shamefully, began to get some somewhat dirty thoughts.

"Checkmate." he gave her a devious smirk showing that he had her number...at least this time.

There was no clear response from her. She turned her head and gave him a loud "Hmph" as if to say "Yeah, whatever"

He got up and dusted himself off. while the girl was still on the cold concrete.

"Here, get up." Ryou held his hand out to her and waited for a response.

The raven haired girl only blushed even more.

"I don't need your-" in a rush of judgement she tried to get up by herself in a hasty fashion, causing her to loose her balance and nearly fall face first onto the floor...That is until she felt a hand clasp her wrist and gently tug her so that she'd stay on her feet.

"Heh, what were you just saying? You don't need my what?" Ryou teased the girl as she only continued to get even more mad and what's worse, she was now embarrassed, and she did it to herself!

"Let go!" she pulled away wildly from Ryou's grip "Ahh!" but in the process she lost her footing and fell flat on her face.

Ryou could only let out a snicker as he place his hand by his lips, trying desperately to hold in his laughter

"What the hell are you laughing at!? Urr, I swear...!" the girl was like a volcano about to erupt.

"Uni!" suddenly the voice of an overly cheery and optimistic girl echoed through the alley way.

"Nepgear?" the girl who was addressed as Uni, replied to the girl that had called out to her as she got up from the floor, dusting herself off. Much to Ryou's displeasure, he recognized that whiney overly peppy voice from just a couple of minutes ago as his expression changed to a frown.

"Oh great..." he said as his snickering came to an end and the deviously teasing smile he had disappeared.

"Goodness, are you okay? I heard yelling and-" Nepgear stopped halfway as she noticed who was with her bestfriend. "Um,hi..."

"Bye." Ryou said as he flat out dismissed Nepgear's optimistic greeting. It seemed as though she was attempting to reconcile with the boy she had bumped into. Maybe it was in her nature to be overly friendly to everyone, even if it was a stranger that had made her cry. Though in Nepgears mind, her crying was mostly on her, or that's what she told herself.

"Hey! You don't have to be a jerk to my friend! Who do you think you are!" Uni shouted in a serious tone causing Ryou to stop. Ryou smirked as he turned his head and looked at the two girls.

"You really wanna know? Heh" he turned around on his heel and crossed his arms while still containing a gaze of superiority over them. Just as he opened his mouth though...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

"Uni, behind you!" The older brother from before got out of the garbage can and began sprinting in a rage straight for the girl.

"Alright, now it's hero time, freaking finally!" Ryou dashed past her, and before anyone knew, he was already in front of the man with a five-foot straight sword in his hand. The sword itself was still sheathed and he was holding it so the flat part was facing the deviant in front of him. He clenched it with all his might and swung it at the guy as if it were a baseball bat, sending him flying back to the garbage can, this time denting it when the man made contact.

"Oh yeah! And that's a wrap!" Ryou gloated as the man started to cough up blood from Ryous attack.

"What the fuck are you, *cough*cough* y-you...freak." The man gasped out as he blacked out.

"Who?" Ryou retorted as he twirled his still sheathed sword as if it were a baton and rested it on his shoulders. He then tuned back around to the girls before him.

"Ryou Ayumu! LOGIN, A-Class! And don't you forget it!" He proclaimed, jabbing a thumb at himself with great pride...

"Since when did you make A-Class? As far as I'm concerned, you're still B-Class." Only for his buzz to be killed by a very familiar voice from the alleyway exit, causing Ryou to seeth in anger recognizing the voice almost immediately, and the two girls to turn around and see a young man in his early 20s standing before them, revealed to be Yamato. Before Ryou could retort, Yamato took a quick look and noticed Nepgear and Uni, and his lips began to form a smirk.

"Oh, I see. Just showing off to your girlfriends here? Ehehehehe." Yamato chuckled, causing the both of them to blush up a storm and Ryou to rush up in front of them.

"As if! I barely even know these two weirdos!"

"Hey!" The girls in question yelled out, embarrassed and insulted with what he just said.

"Huh, so this is the guy you were talking to on the phone earlier? He looks like a real punk."

"Hi Uni! Hi Ge-Ge!" Both Compa and IF respectively popped out from behind Yamato.

"Compa, IF? What the goodness are you two doing here?"

"So teach, I didn't know you were into the tomboy and innocent types these days" Ryou tried to tease, only to get gut-punched by a flustered IF.

"For the record, these two were planning on taking on a risky quest on there own, so I thought I'd lend them a hand...and then we heard you from this alley and that's all she wrote."

"Tch, whatever." Ryou said, slightly recovering from IFs punch.

"Hey, now that I think about it, did you say LOGIN?" IF asked, causing Ryou to stand back up, and just as he was about to say something, Yamato cut in.

"Well, no use hiding it now. Yes, he's a B-Class agent of LOGIN." Yamato said, pulling out an ID with his picture on it that said A-Class. With IF quickly putting the pieces together and went wide-eyed.

"And he also happens to be my pupil."

"Um, Iffy. What's LOGIN?" Compa asked her friend, with Nepgear looking at them with a similar look, while Uni looks as if she already knows.

"Oh right, you have heard. Well, LOGIN is actually a faction within the Guild, designed to train elite agents for dangerous quests and missions all over Gamindustri."

"They're sort of a black ops corp in a sense, so information for most civilians and others are scarce, with only top members of the Guild and the CPUs knowing what they are." Uni finished for the Guild agent, with Nepgear and Compa nodding in acknowledgement.

"Well more or less. And I take it your a top member of the Guilds main branch IF?" Yamato asked, earning a nod from IF.

"Yeah, and it's a little surprising seeing an A-Class LOGIN agent out in the open like this." IF comment.

"Really? Why's that?" Nepgear asked, genuinely curious as she hasn't really heard much about this.

"Because, there are only about 2 or 3 A-Class agents, and rumor has it that there skills rival that of the goddesses."

"...What!?" Compa, Nepgear and Uni yelled out, genuinely surprised over that bit of news.

"Jeez, would you all do me a solid and NOT scream in my ear!" Ryou yelled out, slightly annoyed at all the talking.

"Anyways teach, don't you and these two have a quest to finish or something?"

"I though I'd at least check up on you in person before we go. Goddess knows you can be a bit of a handle full sometimes. Anyways, make sure you get to the Basilicom before I get back, got it?"

"Yeah,yeah!" Ryou replied as Yamato turned around and walked away with IF

"Oh, also try not to flirt too much alright. She'll be pissed if she found out." Yamato said as he walked off.

"Yeah right. That Megaphone wielding blunt-head's always daydreaming, so she wouldn't even notice."

"You never know." Ryou just waved off his comment as he and the other two were finally out of sight. He then turned his attention towards the other two girls right behind him.

("So he's a B-Class agent? Something tells me things are going to get strange soon.") Nepgear thought as the three of them just looked at eachother.

...Though one could say that she isn't exactly far off.


	2. Ending the Plague

*Chomp*Chomp*Snarfle*

"Yo waiter, keep 'em plates coming!" Ryou shouted as he proceeded to devour the food in a nearby restaurant in Planeptune. After there little run in with IF, Compa as well as Ryous mentor Yamato, Nepgear thought that she'd treat him and Uni for some lunch. Whether it's an apology for earlier or a means to getting to know him is anyone's guess.

"Ugh...Nepgear, why are we just sitting here watching this slob stuff his face!?" Uni asked furiously as she turned to her bestfriend who gave her a mellow expression.

"Um well...you see...he's new here so...I just thought..." Needless to say, it seems that her plans aren't going very well, with how Ryou had just got through a 5th helping (his stomach must be as deep as Neptunes.)

"Hmph, whatever."("He's not going to be any nicer to you ya know.") Uni thought as she pouted and turned her head while crossing her arms in a very Noire-like fashion.

*Burp* "Ahh! That hit that spot, alright time to go!" Ryou got up and proceeded to walk out, not even bothering to excuse himself.

"H-hey wait! Where are you going!?" Nepgear asked as she began to panic.

"Hm?"

"You jackass! You were planning on leaving us with the damn bill!" Uni was beyond furious at this point, with steam coming out her ears and her face is redder than Blancs eyes whenever she gets pissed.

"Heheh, of course not. The hell kind of guy do you think I am?" despite being a jerk from time to time, Ryou wasn't low enough to just up and leave the girls with the bill(Even jerkasses have standards). In fact, he simply wanted to tease Uni a bit more, and it was working like a charm.

"Lighten up, I got it covered...what do I owe ya?" Ryou turned to the waiter, who gladly gave him a bill that looked like it'd be a mile long.

"20000000000000000000000000GP sir. Will that be credit or card?"

"FWAH!"("LOOK AT ALL THE ZERO!") Ryou nearly fell to the ground after hearing that number.

"Man...this could be a problem." he muttered quietly as he crossed his arms and began to get lost in thought trying to think of a solution to the problem, with Uni looking at him impatiently, and Nepgear just simply lost in thought herself.

("I wonder why he's not talking to me...I mean, the only reason I asked him to eat with us was so we could start over and maybe be friends...Am I being too persistent? Am I annoying him? Goodness, why am I getting so worked up over this?!") Nepgear thought as her mind began to go in circles trying to wrap her mind around the boy's confusing actions. If he truly thought she was annoying, why would he agree to eat with them? To get a free meal? To just ignore them? Again she began to panic and ultimately over analyze the situation like she normally does with anything.

"Hey...hello? You there?"

"HUH! OH! Uh, Yes! I'm sorry!" before Nepgear knew it the boy was up close and giving her a very confused looked.

"What's wrong with you...?" he asked her giving her another puzzling look.

("Great! Now he probably thinks I'm a total weirdo...") she thought as she began to bash herself yet again.

"Nepgear! Get a hold of yourself and just answer this idiots question!" Uni scolded her friend, breaking her out of her inner dilemma for the moment.

"Oh,uh yes, what is it Ayumu?"

"Um one, just call me Ryou and two, quit acting so damn weird...your creeping me out, like seriously."

"Oh sorry..." Nepgear said in a defeated tone as she began to lose hope in forming a friendship with the boy...he was just...too mean.

"Whatever, do you know anywhere I could make fast money? Like enough to pay this bill?" Ryou asked as he pointed at the mile long bill right behind him.

"Well there is the Guild...there's been a lot of money being offered for slaying a vicious monster that's been terrorizing a nearby village, people call it the 'Dark Plague'."

"Hm...that so? And you sure it can pay enough to clear this bill?"

"Huh!? Hey, idiot! Your not thinking of taking up that quest are you?! You'll freaking die you know! I don't care if you are a LOGIN agent, at the end of the day your only human. *Sigh* Screw it, leave the bill to us. C'mon Nepgear let's go pay this freeloaders-"

"Ma'am , there's nothing to worry about. Keep these two kids with you while I go get your money!" Ryou said to the owner, completely ignoring Uni altogether.

"Hey!" she shouted as she turned red out of anger.

"Hm? Oh sorry were you saying something important? I kind of lost interest in what you were saying after the third word haha." Ryou said giving Uni a devious smirk, further pushing the candidates buttons.

"Y-you!..."

"Welp, gotta go do a job and pay a bill. This'll be a cinch. Sit tight and try not to miss me too much, especially you Gear haha." he gave Nepgear a teaseful look causing her to flinch and turn red.

"HEY! What are you trying to imply! That's my-!"

"Later!" Ryou said cheerfully as he left the two.

"Agh...I swear." Uni began to seethe as she gritted her teeth.

"You think he'll be okay...?" Nepgear asked Uni.

"Hmph. Who care's what happens to him! And you!"

"M-me?!" Nepgear turned to face her friend who was now shouting at her.

"What's up with you getting all blushy around him huh?!"

"Um...what do you mean..."

"Don't give me that Nepgear! You barely even know that jerk and you treated him to food!? Hell, do you even see how much it costed to feed that freeloader!?" Uni was beginning to make a scene as everyone looked on.

"Uni please...your making a scene." Nepgear attempted to calm her friend down and to her own surprise she was able to as Uni took one final deep breath and regained her composure. After regaining some sense of tranquility, she sat back down and just rubbed her head in annoyance.

("Seriously, I've had it up to my eyes with that jerk. Think's he's so cool. Well he wouldn't be, cause the next time I see him, I'm ramming my foot straight up his cocky a-")

"Hey um, Uni?" The Lastation candidate was swiftly brought out of her thoughts with Nepgear calling out to her, now looking at her besty with a curious glare.

"Huh? sorry, what's up now?" She could've been more annoyed with her delivery, but since Ryou is gone and she calmed down a bit, she figured Nepgear has enough to worry about now.

"Well I was curious, how much do you know about LOGIN? I've never even heard of it until now, even though Kisaragi told us that our sisters and the other CPU's know about it."

"*sigh* Well, to be honest, I only know about as much as Noire told me, about LOGIN being a black ops corps within the Guild. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking. IF said that an A-Class LOGIN agent is about as strong as a CPU. IF that were true...wouldn't that mean that a B-Class agent is as strong, if not stronger than a CPU candidate?" To Uni, that basically translates to 'Is that moron Ryou stronger than me or Nepgear?'

"...?"

"OK, THAT CLINCHED IT!" Needless to say, she didn't take it very well.

"What the goodness Uni!? Why'd you get up all of a sudden!?" Nepgear was understandably startled and confused at Unis reaction.

"There is no way that guy is stronger than me! No! Nuh-uh! I refuse! I'm gonna go over there and show that jerk who's boss!" Uni proclaimed as she stormed out of the restaurant, no doubt she's going to catch up to Ryou and give him a lesson. Her pride would not allow her to be outmatched by a loud-mouth like him.

"Wha-!? Uni, wait for me!" Nepgear soon got up herself and chased after her friend, who happens to be chasing after the guy she may or may not have a crush on.

"Kid you got a death wish or something? You seem awful young and not bad lookin' to be digging yerself and early grave."

"Uh...thanks?"

"That ain't a complement."

After Ryou practically sprinted out of the restaurant, he wasted no time looking for the "Black Plague" quest from the Guild. Although upon taking the request from a middle-aged man(mid thirties probably), who also happened to be the owner of the local Guild, he was given some very curious and skeptical glares from everyone, including the man himself. The man in question was a tall, chiseled man with messy grey hair, navy Blue eyes and a light 5 o'clock shadow. He wears a pair of goggles, a blue jacket over a light blue shirt, green pants with a tan sweater wrapped around his waist, and leather gloves and boots.

"Point is there's no point in throwing your life away like that. Come work at the Guild if you have to! At night time it get's real lively around here. Lady Purple Heart may have her flaws but that just makes for a much more fun and laid backed nation."

"Hm? You don't say." Ryou was intrigued to say the least. From what little he has heard, Planeptunes goddess is a lot more laid-back and easy going compared to the other CPUs, with her own nation adopting said mentality, despite being the most advanced. This was completely different from what he had experienced back in Lowee while on a mission a few weeks prior. In Lowee, people seem to have more traditional values with less emphasis on technology and being lazy was somewhat looked down upon. Additionally, Lowee was one of the safest nations around as opposed to the others. Lastation in particular, which also so happens to be Ryous birthland, had an entire district simply called "The Slums" for basically any poor person or vagabonds to live in. Sadly, Ryou himself lived most of his life in the Slums and it wasn't a fun experience. Leanbox also has a ghetto of their own called the "Thieves Den" where a lot of illegal and pirated transactions happen, something Lady Green Heart and members of her SMD(Special Missions Department) have been trying to stop for some time now. Planeptune only had some minor crimes and ghetto's were not really there.

"You alright there kid? Your kinda spacing out there..." said the guild owner snapping Ryou out of his thoughts.

"Oh! My bad pops, yeah I'll think about it! Just in kind of a hurry now and don't worry, hero's never die!" Ryou said as he gave a cocky grin and thumbs up to the man and was on his way before he knew it.

"Hey! Don't call me pops you little-! Agh, well either he's the most fearless kid I've ever met or the stupidest."

"Hey!" Before the man could reach into his coat pocket, Uni came up to him in a hurry with a very tired Nepgear in tow.

"What can I do for you little lady?"

"Have you scene some black-haired jackass accepting a dangerou-"

"You just missed him. He took off just as you and your little friend got here."

"Thanks! C'mon Nepgear!"

"At least give me time to breathe Uni!" As the two candidates, the man took a deep breath of fresh air and rubbed his forehead.

"...And I sure as hell wasn't expectin' two Candidates to waltz in here. And as for that punk, heh..." the man slyly reached into his left pocket and pulled up a lighter then proceeding to grab a pack of cigarettes and place one in his mouth, lighting it up and inhaling the smoke and taking a puff. "Don't know why, but I feel like that boys destined for big things heh."

 **-Back to Ryou-**

("What a weird old dude. Oh well, maybe I'll take him up on that guild job...if I don't get promoted soon...then what's the point in being in LOGIN? I've waited too damn long...put in countless hours into training, blood sweat and tears. I deserve this! I NEED this! Yamato always tells me I'm too ambitious and that I'm not ready, and even though my respect for him is limitless, this is the one thing I disagree with him. I'm Ryou Ayumu! I grew up in the slums and survived! I fought all my life to survive! I told him I'd be a hero that I would make A class and cement my legacy as one of LOGINs elite. Hell, I practically guaranteed I would surpass him someday! I won't ever let my ambition fade, afterall...this is really all I know. This is what I've done since I was a kid...fight, fight, fight...and I'll continue to fight. I'll continue to be the best. That's my destiny...right?") Ryou thought, feeling both conflicted, uneasy, confused and yet still looking forward to the thrill of fighting the so-called "Dark Plague."

Soon Ryou found himself at a small village not too far from Lastation or Planeptune. The village itself wasn't all that impressive, but compared to the indusatrialized Lastation or the highly advanced Planeptune, this seemed a lot more urban.

"Guess this must be the place. Hmm, now if I were a "Dark Plague" where would I be...?" Ryou thought idiotically as he crossed his arms and looked around the almost ghost town of a village.

"Yooooooo! Dark Plague, I'm here to kick your ass, so get out here!" Ryou said a tone that could be heard by absolutely anyone, catching the hiding villagers off guard as some of them fell on their backs out of the stupidity of the boy.

"What in Lady Black Hearts name are you thinking boy!" an old man walking in a hunchbacked fashion while using a staff as a crutch began to walk up to Ryou.

"Village elder, be careful. We don't know if he's just another thief." a young boy who seemed to be no older then one of the Lowee CPU candidates rushed to the elders side trying to block a path between him and Ryou. The boy himself had clean sandy brown hair, pale blue eyes similar to Ryous but without the extra shine, and a bluish purple scarf around his neck, with the tails reaching down to his backs mid-section. He wears a light grey long-sleeved shirt with the roman numeral of one on the front. He also seems to be wearing a brown T-shirt underneath, sweat pants that are the same color of his scarf and brown sneakers.

"Hm? Hey kid, I'm not going to hurt him or anything, so chillax." Ryou assured the boy but he still looked skeptical.

"It's okay little one." the village elder placed a hand on the boy's head calming him down and assuring him Ryou had no bad intentions. Finally with one final look of reluctance the boy let the elder pass to greet Ryou.

"I'm guessing you guys don't have many guests if this is how you greet people haha." Ryou tried to crack a joke as he gave the elder a goofy smile

"Why have you come here boy?"

"Boy? I have a name, Ryou Ayumu and I'll be your friendly neighborhood hero for the day!" Ryou stuck out his chest and gave everyone a thumbs up with a cocky smirk.

"Hmph, you wouldn't be the first to make such a bold claim. Now off with you, or the Dark Plague will end your life-!" but before the elder could walk further away Ryou clasped him by the elbow as gently as he could, just tight enough to stop him from moving.

"Old man, I don't care what those others said, I'm not them. I will get rid of the plague, no matter what!... Also, I got a freaking bill with a TON of zero's and two chicks that'll eat me alive if I don't pay it haha." just when Ryou was beginning to sound serious he came out with that last bit of dialogue that made practically everyone in the vicinity sigh loudly.

"Very well, but be warned that every adventurer that tried to slay it has never come back at all. but if you're really want to risk your life, then go a little beyond the Forest of Empty Screams. It has already made its nest there. Strange though, it's usually around the village at this time. something must be keeping it up..."

"Got it! Welp, hero time! later old man!" Ryou said as he ran towards the Forest with the fitting title. As he ran, the young boy near the elders side couldn't help but look at him from afar, now more curious than doubtful.

As Ryou became to tread deeper and deeper into the forest with the very fitting name, he realized that the atmosphere had somewhat changed. The air got heavy and he was able to feel an aura of malice practically engulfing him.

"Man, this is starting to get pretty freaky. Next thing you know, some seven foot tall tuxedo wearing blank face coming out of nowhere and screw me over."He thought out loud trying to calm his nerves and letting the obvious reference hang in the air.

"Heh, come on out boy, I know your here-"

*SLASH*

The creature emerged from out of nowhere and stuck at Ryous side just as he tried to finish his sentence. He would've been sliced in two if he didn't draw his sword and blocked it. Upon taking a good look at the beast, He can tell that it lived up to its name of The Dark Plague, with the monster standing on two legs with red eye's almost resembling a wolf. Even moreso since the beast itself looks like a humanoid Fenrir, with the fur around its wrists, shins and collar being ebony black with a tinge of red. Its very appearance basically spells death to him.  
"Woah, did a fenrir decide to have a kid with a demon? Haha! Anyways, you look pretty tough, so this outta be fun. Now, it's showti-"

"Hey jackass!" an almost whiny , nasally, tsundere-like voice could be heard coming from his left.

"Ryou!" another voice that Ryou recognized soon followed.

"Aw shit..." Ryou knew who those voices belonged to and sure enough he was right as Uni and Nepgear appeared at the worst time of course, with the latter looking very exhausted.

"Oh come the fuck on! Why the hell did both of you come all the way out here!? I told you two-GAH!" before Ryou could finish raging he was caught off guard by the beast as one of its claws slashed the side of his abdomen and sent him flying a ways and skidding onto his injured side. He struggled to get up, but it would seem that its attack did a lot more damage than he thinks.

"No!" Nepgear yelled out tears almost coming out of her eyes.

"Stupid!" Uni said practically trembling. She was equally as distraught it would seem despite her best efforts to hide it.

"Both of you idiots, get ba-AGH!" Ryou couldn't catch a break as just as he almost got back up, the beast decided to get another hit on him, this time with his massive tail knocking the boy into a rotting nearby tree, breaking it in half and gravely injuring him even more.

The two candidates stood in front of the beast known as the Dark Plague.

"Nepgear...we need to fight that thing." Uni prepared herself for the battle, though she was extremely unsure she could pull off beating such a creature, much less keep Nepgear safe.

"But! But Ryou!" Nepgear frantically said as she was almost about to lose it, she was panicking until...

*Slap*

"Get a hold of yourself! Your more important then him okay! Your more important to me..." Uni said in a tone that made Nepgear blush, but at the same time wonder why she had phrased it in such a way. it made her feel a bit uncomfortable and yet at the same time...

"Here it comes! Get ready!" Uni yelled out snapping Nepgear out of her trance.

"R-Right!" With that, they both transformed into there HDD forms, catching the monsters attention and setting its sights on them with a glare that can only be described as "pure nightmare fuel". Shaking it off, both Candidates steeled themselves as the feral monster charged toward them. They both quickly evaded to the side as it came close and shot at both its sides simultaneously, causing it to to growl in pain as the shots hit there mark.

"Mirage Dance!" Before it had time to recover, Nepgear rushed towards it and began slashing it 4 times as it she were dancing and then slashed straight through it. As Nepgear stopped right next to her, Uni fired multiple shots from her gun straight at its back, damaging it even more.

The Dark Plague roared ferociously, now more pissed off than hurt, charged again at the pair, only this time its speed has increased dramatically. Uni managed to dodge in time, But the Dark Plague pounced on Nepgear and tried to bite her head off. Fortunately she reacted in time and block it with her gunblade, with said weapon being firmly in the monsters mouth. After a bit of struggling, Nepgear, kicked the monster off of her straight into a dead tree.

Getting back up quickly, the Dark Plague charged some sort of black ichor through its claws, and soon enough the ichor turned into black energy. It slashed the air and the energy extended into long, sharp blades from each of its fingertips, and just as quickly hurled them at her at blinding speed.

"Oh no you don't!" Uni managed to fire a laser at the Dark Plague, not only destroying at least half of the blades it fired, but also damaging the monster while its guard was down. This gave Nepgear enough time to narrowly dodge the other half of blades as they dashed right past her, cutting bits of her hiar as they pasted by and cut through the environment behind her like a hot knife through butter.

"Are you OK?" Uni asked as she gave her and hand back up. Nepgear simply nodded and got back up just as the monster howled once more. Wasting no time, Nepgear charged forward as Uni fired a few more shots past her and towards the Dark Plague. the bullets ripped straight through the monster as Nepgear came up close and slashed through it. Skidding to a stop she turned around and charged her M.P.B.L. just as Uni was charging her XMB Empress. Just as the monster recovered, they both fired at the same time, blasting the Dark Plague from both sides as the two of them entered a beam struggle with the monster trapped inbetween the beams. Soon after, the beams finally gave way to a massive explosion, with both candidates taking a knee in exhaustion.

"Haa...Haa...Haa... did we get it?" Uni asked to no one in particular, but before either of them could react, the Dark Plague came out of nowhere, now in what seems like a "Feral Desperado" mode, and lunged for Nepgear just as she tried to get up.

"Kyaaah!" Nepgear yelled out as the Dark Plague managed to snap its jaws onto her arm, causing her to let go of her gunblade and gravely injuring it. Just as it finally let go, it swiped its claws at her, sending her flying and leading her to revert her normal form.

"Nepgear! NO!" Uni yelled practically in tears as she saw Nepgear hold her arm with tears rolling down her cheeks and blood dripping onto the grass.

"You...I'LL END YOU!" Uni yelled out as she charged at the beast disregarding her usual strategy of staying as a long distance shooter and putting her into a very dangerous situation. Before the Black Plauge could react, she got up close, rammed the barrel of her railgun onto its chest and shot him with a full-powered charge-shot at point blank range, seemingly damaging it but sending Uni flying back. Getting back up quickly, she looked into the smoke cloud to confirm if her target was dead...

"Ack!" Before she realized it, the beast quickly came from behind and grabbed the Lastation candidate by her neck with the use of his long tail. As the creature chocked the life out of her she finally reverted and began to lose consciousness that is until-

"Acceleration!"

*Swish*Slash*Slash*

The monster gave a wild cry of pain as it dropped Uni on the floor. After regaining her breath for a moment, she opened her eyes and saw that the tail had been completely cut off. Still too weak to get up and move she titled her head just far enough to see the figure standing in front of her.

"Y-you..." Uni saw it was the 'jackass' that she thought for sure would be dead by now, with his sword upraised and ready to tear the Dark Plague apart. Any normal human would be slaughtered by this point, but Ryou was in LOGIN for a reason and sure enough he was making Uni a believer, if only a little bit.

"Next time when I tell you not to follow me, don't freaking follow me, got it?!" Ryou yelled out visibly annoyed as she gave Uni an intense look, 'putting her in her place' so to speak.

"Now stay back and take care of your girlfriend there. You had your fun, now it's time I had mine, don't you think? hehe." Ryou said with a cocky smile as he gave his 'prey' the dark plague a sinister smile. Somehow, the monster flinched at Ryous gaze. If it weren't already in a damaged state, it would kill him no problem.

"Alright then, IT'S HERO TIME!" The battle hungry 'hero' rushed in with absolutely no hesitation.

"ACCELERATION!"as he yelled out wildly his speed increased until he was no longer visible to anyone, not even the Dark Plague. Its senses were going off all over the place, telling it that danger is practically everywhere. Before it had time to move, Ryou slashed it once, but it came out as 3 slashes at once, one of them directed at the Dark Plagues left eye. It howled in pain ad it is even more damaged than before, and half of its vision has been taken. It attempted a wild hay-maker at where it thinks he is, but Ryou quickly appeared behind it and slashed at its back at high-speeds, causing it to stagger and tumble.

As the seemingly one-sided slaughter raged on, Nepgear struggled to make her way to Uni who was still recovering from almost being chocked to death.

"Uni, are you okay?" she curled up next to her, not wanting to lay on her injured arm, but also worried about her best friend who would've nearly died if it weren't for Ryou.

"Yeah...I'm okay. I'm sorry for not being able to protect you..." Uni looked down in shame as she spoke. She came out here to prove that she was stronger than the jackass that was treating her friend(and possible crush) like a complete tool, but not only was said friend injured, but she nearly died. All because her pride got in the way of her better judgement.

"It's OK Uni. Neither of us knew it was going to be this tough, So don't beat yourself up over it, OK?"

"Nepgear..."

"Here we go...GO,GO,GO!" As the two candidates began having their heart to heart, Ryou continued on the offensive, performing a vicious chain slash on his opponent, causing the Dark Plague to stumble once again. The Dark Plague got on all fours and growled at him, now looking more like a standard Fenrir than some sort of Wolverine.

"What's wrong little buddy? Outta juice, cause I'm just getting started." Ryou boasted, though he had to admit, if it weren't for the girls damaging it earlier, he would've had a much harder time...either that or more fun. who's to say.

Either way, the monster was not having it. With one more vicious roar, it charged straight for him, killing intent practically plastered all over its being, ad began to rush him with a series of sonic-slashes so fast even the goddesses themselves would have trouble keeping up. Fortunately, Ryou was faster, as he dodge and evade every slash that came his way, all the while wearing a face that basically screams 'I'm motivated', strangely making him look more like a monster than the actual monster standing in front of him. Within the multitude of slashes coming from the desperate beast,, Ryou finally spotted an opening.

"Gotcha! Hepta Slash!" Without hesitation or remorse, Ryou directed his sword to the Dark Plague, lunged forward and slashed the beast with 5 heavy yet fast sword strikes, struck once sending the beast flying upwards, high-jumped above it, gripped his sword with both hands and drove the blade downwards, impaling the Dark Plague in its heart and planting it firmly to the ground as they landed. When the final blow was finally struck into the creatures wicked heart, its head was raised in defiance and went back down with a thud as it disappeared into code.

"Tch. Gotta say your claws burn like hell, but your a lot more bark then bite at the end of the day aren't ya pup? Man, to think I actually thought you'd be at least some fun." Ryou said as he kept the smile on his face, it was almost...terrifying to the candidates who began to observe the change in demeanor of Ryou. He wasn't being just cocky anymore he was being arrogant, as if he wanted more of a fight.

("Repress it Ryou! We aren't like everyone else in LOGIN. Were not mindless monsters. Even if we technically are, we must never show anyone. Can you promise me this? Can you promise to not give in to malice like 'he' did...?") the words of Yamato rang into Ryou's head, and like a jolt of lightning, it snapped him out of his power/battle hungry trance.

"Ugh!" Ryou quickly changed his demeanor as he grabbed his head and turned around to see the two injured candidates.

"You two alright?" he asked as he regained his composure.

"Y-Yeah, for the most part." Uni answered hesitantly, with Nepgear simply holding her injured arm. No doubt they're going to have Compa take a good look at it for the possibility of infection.

"Good! Now let's go pay that bill and get you two patched u-"

*Slash*

Sure enough there was no rest for the weary as a sword from out of nowhere from right behind Ryou, its blade facing towards his neck. Just as it was about to lop his head off, Ryou quickly drew his blade to block the incoming slash.

"This aura...A CPU!?." he pushed back on the sword with force revealing the goddess holding the blade.

"B-Big Sis!?"

"N-Noire!?" Both candidates called out, the perpetrator being the Goddess of Black Regality herself, Black Heart, also known by her sister and friends(?), Noire.

"Noire?...Well hello to you too." Ryou said sarcastically as he gave her a questionable look.

"You, what have you done to my sister!?" Black Heart yelled as she came at Ryou again with her sword clashing with his.

"And you even injured Nepgear too? Hmph, now you're in for it scum!" she followed up with a kick to Ryou's mid section catching him off guard and sending him skidding a ways from her.

"Tch, you got it all wrong lady! But if your going to be stubborn about it...guess I have no choice! Bring it on! I don't care if you are a Goddess, I'm going to kick your ass!"

"The feelings mutual!"

"Wait, no! Noire, Ryou!" Nepgear tried to explain the situation but Noire lunged at Ryou once more as did he, all the while not aware who instigated this confrontation, however soon enough they would find out...


	3. Lastation Pride

**-In a cave somewhere outside Planeptune-**

"Phew. OK, now I'm glad your on board with us Yamato. That last batch of enemies was pretty ridiculous, and we aren't even near the target yet."

"Haa...Haa...Haa... so, tired."

"Yeah, I've heard that monsters were starting to run rampant as of late. Still, even I didn't know it was this bad, goddesses forbid if a mob got anywhere near the cities."

After there run in with Yamatos B-class pupil Ryou, the trio headed on towards the cave where the target monster was suppose to be. What none of them knew was that they would get some heavy resistance on the way, especially after they just dispatched a large pack of aggressive Dogoos in heat. While they were overwhelmed at first, due to Yamatos quick thinking (and anger filled falcon punches and kicks when some Dogoos thought it was a good idea to try and get into the girls panties), they managed to clear out the pack, with IF and Compas virginity still intact.

("Seriously though, these little guys have no idea on how to treat a lady. They're like Ryou, but with a libido bigger than Lady Green Hearts breasts.") He thought to himself as he squashed the last one under his boot.

"Anyways, you two alright?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Geez, that's the third time this month these little bastards played around with my purity!"

"I agree Iffy. Don't they know that most girls are saving it for marriage?"

"True. Women due tend to save it for there spouses..." Yamato trailed on as another Dogoo tries to go for a sneak attack, only to get backhanded straight into a wall and disintegrate into pixels.

"..Which makes it all the more annoying when these guys take them in advance."

"Amen to that Yamato. Say, now that I think about it, we've been at this for a while and I've never seen you using your sword." IF pointed out, with Yamatos blade still in it's sheath. True to her words, he had been fighting with CQC and MMA the entire time, with one punching hitting the ground so hard chunks of ground came flying off.

"Yeah Mr. Yamato. don't you think having a weapon and not using it is a waste."

"Constant use causes wear, tear and rust, and that's a real waste. Besides, I usually reserve this bad boy for bosses and other strong enemies." Yamato answered the pink haired nurse while tapping his swords handle in pride.

"Well aren't we stingy then." IF said sarcastically, earning a smirk and chuckle from the A-Class agent.

"I can be pretty cheap." Yamato retorted as the three of them began walking in the cave again, hoping to find there target sooner or later.

"That aside, I wanna know, just why him?" IF asked out of the blue, causing Yamato to turn his head toward her in confusion.

"Who?"

"That Ryou guy. Why are you training him? He's loud, obnoxious and has his head very far up his ass. He kind of reminds me of a friend of mine that doesn't know when to stop teasing people.

 **-Back at Planeptunes Basilicom-**

"And further more-!"

"*Achoo!*" Neptune sneezed abruptly in the middle of Histoires lecture, causing the Oracle to give her own CPU a death glare.

"Ehehehe, sorry Histy." Neptune genuinely apologize, although now wondering if someone was talking behind her back.

"Now...what were we talking about again?"

"Grrrr!"

 **-Back to the cave-**

"Well, I'll fully admit, He can be kind of a punk with about as much energy as a small puppy, he has a ego so big it could dwarf an Ancient Dragon and can be a bit of a dumbapple, especially when it comes to girls."

("With how he spoke about Gear and Uni, that's putting it mildly.") IF thought to herself as Yamato continued.

"Even so, he has a good heart and generally means well...still a pretty big hassle sometimes, ehehehe."

"Which again raises the question, why train him id he's such a hassle?" IF asked again, this time stopping in her tracks and looking at Yamato straight in the eyes. Yamato looked back at her with an equally stern stare and Compa just stood there with question marks over her head, both curious and confused over what he'll say next.

"Well..." Yamato trailed off with his hand cupping his chin. reminiscing the first time he met Ryou.

 **-Flashback, 4 years ago-**

4 years ago, within a certain sector within Lastation, Yamato was patrolling the streets, looking in every possible direction for any criminals or stray monsters. He looked a lot less muscular as he is in the present day, with his attire being a standard uniform for LOGIN, with the only difference being that the shirt was beige colored instead of solid black or grey, and was wielding a standard claymore on his back instead of his signature broadsword. The biggest difference seems to be that, for whatever reason, his eyes were an emerald green instead of pale blue.

By this time, the Friendship Treaty hasn't been signed yet, and Yamato himself was a newly recruited B-Class soldier within LOGIN. He as well as a few other B-Class agents had been stationed here due to recent monster outbreaks thanks to drops in the lands shares.

("No doubt Lady Black Heart and Lady Black Sister have been running themselves ragged these days. Still, this is my first real mission, so even if it's simple guard duty, I have to make a first good impre-")

"Hey, you!" A young boy about twelve years of age approaches Yamato.

"Hm?" Yamato looks over at the boy with curiosity. The young boy had short spiky black hair, red eyes, a grey t-shirt, black shorts and shoes.

"You're with that LOGIN thing right?"

"Uh, well, yeah?"

"Knew it!" the boy yells out as he throws his fist into the air in satisfaction with a smirk on his face.

"What class are you?" he then asked Yamato putting him on the spot.

"I-I'm B class..." Yamato told the boy looking a little ashamed and embarassed.

"Oh, so your not really a big deal..." Ryou said as he took a long sigh and gave Yamato a disheartened but very smug look.

"Hey!" Yamato yelled out, being belittled by a little kid wasn't very good for what pride he did have then.

"Heheh chill out dude, I'm only teasing. I think it's cool that your B class, I mean you're practically a hero!"

"A hero?" Yamato gave the boy a confusion expression. He knew that those who joined LOGIN are practically the elite, even for C-Class, but to hear being called a hero? Now that was something else to him.

"Yeah, I heard LOGN is full of hero's! if you ask me, class doesn't mean a damn thing!" the boy struck a fist at the empty space in front of him and clenched his fist as he began to give his clasped palm an intense look and for a second looked deep in thought.

"Class doesn't mean a thing...all that matters is desire, the desire to be the best."

Yamato couldn't believe a kid was talking about such ambitious things at such an early age. All the kids he had met from Lastation up to this point were never this serious, much less this full of energy. Something must have happened to him, or maybe this was just his true nature. Either way, he was very impressed with what he's seeing in the young Ryou. To him, that kind of iron will, determination and ambition is what LOGIN was all about. If he was older and much more experienced he would have tried to recruit him on the spot.

"Hey, what's your name?" Yamato asked.

"Ayumu. Ryou Ayumu!" the boy glanced over at the B class soldier as he gave him a grin and a thumbs up. Confidence beaming from his face and determination that is quite rare in this day and age, yeah he definitely looked like a LOGIN member waiting to happen.

"Say, Ryou, how about-" but before Yamato could say anything else, a monster roared right behind them, catching them both off-guard. Turning around, they saw that it is a Lizard Guard getting ready to attack.

"Ryou, get back!" Yamato commanded the young lad, not even bothering to question how a monster like this got here as he brandished his sword. Charging headfirst, the monster swung its axe at him with all its might, only for him to side roll out of the attacks range and ended up behind it. Yamato performed a backflip to gain some distance as the Lizard Guard turned back around and charged to him once more.

Using as much strength as he could muster, he throws his sword high into the air, causing it to spin as it grew higher in altitude. While the monster was distracted, he lunged up for the sword, grabbed it, performed a somersault and drove the blade at the monster will everything he had from above before it could defend or retaliate.

The monster quickly collapsed to the ground, seemingly defeated as Yamato got back up from his own attack.

"Huh. Well that was easier than I thought. Hey Ryou, are you-"

"Get out of there you moron!"

"Wha-!"

Before he could even have time to block or dodge, the Lizard Guard went Viral and in a berserk rage bashed him with its shield, causing him to let go of his weapon and sent him flying into a concrete wall, with the wall cracking behind him and blood coming out of Yamatos mouth.

"Ouch, critical hit!" Ryou was more surprised than shocked at these turn of events, but his expression quickly turned into one of excitement when he sees Yamatos weapon lying on the ground. As the Viral Lizard went towards the downed LOGIN agent, Ryou picked up Yamatos sword with some difficulty and only smirked at his reflection off the blade.

("Finally, it's my time to shine!") "Hey!" The Viral monster turned to Ryou who was now wielding the sword to his side with both hands ready to fight it.

"Yeah I'm talking to you, you overgrown ass-pimple! Come and get some!" The monster moved away from Yamato and started to head into Ryous direction.

"*cough* Urk, What do you think you're doing!? Get out of here, run!" Yamato tries to warn Ryou, though unsuccessfully since the youth looks raring to go, not even listening to his warning. If he wasn't injured by that surprise attack, he would've finished it off now. Nevertheless, the Viral Lizard now charges at Ryou with its axe upraised, ready to cleave the tween in two.

*woosh*

only for Ryou to crotch-roll under the monster, surprisingly fast and back slashed the monster before it had time to react.

"Ha! Didn't see that comin' did ya?" Ryou taunted, making the monster a bit more pissed off. It proceeded to try and attack him again and again, but each time, Ryou simple either side-stepped and slashed, simply evaded the monsters attacks and even show-casing some minor parkour as he used the environment to his advantage, and all this with a surprising amount of speed that even a full grown adult would be envious of, even with the large sword weighing him down.

While all of this is going on, Yamato was very surprised with what he's seeing. Ryou might not be doing much damage, but the way he was evading most of its attacks and keeping his distance is pretty impressive, even for someone so young.

("...Yep, he's going to be my trainee.") Yamato concluded, as the fight raged on, with both Ryou and the monster starting to run out of breath.

"Haa...haa...haa...OK, I'll admit you're pretty good. But I've played Shadow Souls, so as long as I keep dodging and attacking, you're ass is as good as-" Before Ryou could finish, The Viral Lizard suddenly got smart and used its shield as a boomerang and threw it at Ryou.

"OH SHIT!" The shield now too close to dodge, Ryou tried to block with Yamatos claymore, but upon contact, the sword was knocked out of his hands and sent Ryou flying towards a nearby garbage can, causing it to overturn and dump its contents on him as he skid to a stop.

"*Cough*Cough* Ugh, mistakes were made today." Ryou coughed out as the monster came closer to his now defenseless pray.

"Damn it!" Yamato cursed as he struggled to get up from his earlier ough it would seem fortune is upon him as his Claymore conveniently landed right next to him. Wasting no time and last minute adrenaline, Yamato grabbed his sword, lift himself up with it, charged at the monster ferociously, and just as it turned around to retaliate, Yamato swung his sword with all of his might and not only cut off its axe-hand, but also its head. killing it instantly.

*Huff*Huff*

Yamato stood practically out of breath after landing the finishing blow on the monster. Another rookie mistake like before and he could have gotten them both killed.

"Damn it. I let my guard down." He said as he planted his sword into the ground and leaned on it for support.

"There's no use beating yourself over it, live and learn right?" Ryou approached Yamato, slightly banged up with a few cuts and bruises but with the same fierce eye's of determination and devious smirk.

"Heh, for a kid who barely knows how to fight properly, you handled yourself pretty good."

"For a B-Class, so did you haha." Ryou retorted teasing Yamato.

The two then joined in on a laugh together for a while, there current injuries being the furthest from there minds.

"Say Ryou..."

"Hm?"

"I'm going to be stopping by this place more often. I've been assign to this sector since Lady Black Heart and Black Sister have been pretty busy as of late. Why don't we go practice some more monster slaying whenever I drop by? It'll be good for you." Yamato said, by this point his judgement was clouded because of what he had just seen.

"Sure, I'd be happy to teach!"

"Teach?" Yamato gave Ryou a puzzled look.

"Yeah,Teach! Cuz when I get older, your going to be an A class agent, and I'm going to be your apprentice!"

("Hehe, I haven't even said anything and he already agreed. This kid is definitely something.")

"One day soon I'm joining LOGIN and becoming a real hero, and by that time..." Ryou faced away from Yamato for one moment, and the next. he turned back around dramatically and pointed at Yamato.

"I know I will surpass you!"

 **-Flashback end-**

"...After that, the medics came and treated our wounds. Thankfully they weren't too servere, so I got out in a few days. Still, for a little kid, he really knew how to fight." Yamato finished off his retelling of the past, with both girls looking at him wide-eyed.

"Damn. For a kid that's actually pretty impressive."

"Sounds like it hurt a lot though. Are you sure you weren't hurt that bad?"

"With all due respect Compa, I think I know my own body well enough."

"Slight innuendo aside, that still doesn't answer my question." IF interrupted, gaining questioning glares from both Yamato and Compa

"How so?"

"Well, you're were on the right track with him having potential, but the way you described him then and how he acts now clearly spells out that he's a lot more trouble than he's worth. So, there not something you're telling us?" With both IF and Compa now giving him curious glares, Yamato couldn't help but feel put on the spot. But instead of feeling nervous, he simply steps forward with a sly smile and spoke quietly to the duo.

"...No story is not worth telling. Keep that in mind." They were both understandably confused at the answer they were given. Before they even realized it, he was already a fair distance away from them

"...Wait, that's it!?" IF yelled out as he continued to walk forward, causing both girls to give chase.

"Wait Mr. Yamato!"

"Yeah, well, thanks a lot ya big-!" Before she could finish, Yamato stopped suddenly and signaled for them to stop in place.

"What's wrong?" Compa asked as a low growl could be heard in front of the group.

"Target's dead ahead, and it looks like a Risky one." The girls looked around Yamato to see what looked like an Ancient Dragon, but unlike the norm, this one was much slimmer and smaller by comparison, and it's scales were a stone grey instead of a yellowish brown.

"Yep, that's definitely it. Get ready Compa."

"Roger Iffy!" The two girls readies themselves, with IF preparing her Qatars and Compa with her ridiculously large syringe.

("Man, Ryou is going to be scared senseless when he sees that.") Yamato commented as he examined the target at hand. He slowly reach for the grip of his sword, contemplating if the monster is worthy enough.

("...No. Not this time.") He thought against as he opted for a fighting stance instead.

"Hmm? Having second thoughts?" IF asked, quickly gaining the A-Class agent attention.

"Yeah. Since it's the three of us versus one of these guys, I'd say that this will be enough. If I were alone, then it would warrant my sword."

"Sounds like someones getting cocky." IF commented with a sly smile on her face.

"I prefer to call it confidence." and Yamato retorted back with a similar expression.

"Whatever. So, what's the plan?"

"Simple, I'll keep it's attention while the two of you go from behind and it it with everything you've both got. If it's still standing from the sneak attack, then IF, you and I will be on frontal offensive while Compa keeps her distance and heals when necessary. Sound good?"

"Simple, but yeah, that'll work."

"Yep-Yep, it's a great plan! Lead the way Mr. Yamato!" He nodds in response to Compa and immediately sprinted towards the target as the girls snuck away to try and get behind it. As he ran, Yamato began to gather some sort of blue ethereal energy into his right fist, preparing an attack for the monster ahead. As he charged, the monster took notice of him and roared before chargin at him in turn, not even noticing the duo sneaking right behind it.

"Alright then..." He took a quick yet deep breath and skid to a stop before slamming his fist into the ground.

"Terra Impact!" He himself roared as the ground underneath him cracked and the energy from him transferred to the ground and began trailing towards the dragon at startling speeds. once it's reached the target, the ground beneath the dragon spontaneously bursted with a large stalagmite ramming against the dragon, causing it to roar and double back in immense pain.

"IF, Compa, now!" Before the monster could even notice, IF charged behind it at speeds that even Yamato was impressed by. Behind her was Compa, firing what seemed to be rapid-fire shots from her syringe, at the same time IF zipped and slashed at the dragon in almost all directions. After a minute of non-stop attacks, IF skid in front of the dragon and slashed at it with all her might, somehow sending it flying in the air. Afterwhich, she quickly took out what looked like high-grade explosives from her coat, threw it at the target then chucked a concealed knife, lodging both it and the explosives onto the dragon, as Compa fired a pink laser at it, causing the entire thing to explode violently as the two of them ran to a safe distance.

"Phew, OK that was pretty close." Just as that was said, the dragon came out of the smoke and fell to the ground below with a crashing thud.

"Did we get it Iffy?" As if on cue,a loud roared sounded within the cave, and the dragon came out of the smoke, both severely injured and incredibly pissed off.

"Well that's a big fat no." Yamato commented as the dragon promptly charge at the group, with the three of them preparing themselves and dodged to the sides as it came close, Yamato and IF to the left and Compa to the right. The former two landed safely, but unfortunately Compa staggered and landed on her butt. To add insult to injury, The dragon took notice and darted for her before she could notice.

"Crap! Yamato, hammer throw!" With a nod, Yamato charged ahead of the guild agent and stopped in front of her, with IF still running full speed ahead. as soon as she was within reach, he grabbed her by her forearms and spun around in high-speeds before launching her at there target.

Meanwhile, Compa was rubbing her rump as she was in a bit of pain, but as she looked up, she froze in fear as the dragon was literally in her face, looking like it could chomp her head off at any time.

"Uh, H-hi mr. dragon." She tried to act nice in her fear induced state, but the monster only roared at her, causing her to close her eyes for fear of being eaten alive. But just as it seemed like she was done for, the dragon roared in pain and stepped back from her. Taking a peak, she saw that IF was on the nap of its neck, both her Qatars firmly dug into its rock-like skin.

"Iffy!"

"Yeah, didn't expect that, huh you big bastard!?" IF yelled as she got her weapons out, leaped off the dragon, pulled out a gun with explosive rounds and fired at the dragons face. It only got more angered as she gracefully landed on the ground. It tried to charge, but it just stopeed dead in its tracks as if it were being held back. It took a look behind and saw that Yamato was literally holding it by its tail.

"Forgot about me?" He said with a smirk, as an ethereal aura came around his being. With a mighty roar of his own, he gianed a firm grip on the dragons tail and began to pull on it. What was astonishing to the duo on the other side that he was actually able to drag the large dragon along, causing it to tumble on his stomach. Before long, he began to literally spin the monster around in a circular motion.

("~You spin me right round, right round like a record, baby~") He amusingly thought to himself as he got faster, and at this point, the monster was off the ground and spinning profusely as if it were a certain green spike-shelled monster.

"So long!" With one last twirl, he swung the dragon high into the air.

"Whoa!"

"Holy Crap! Guess you aren't A-Class for nothing."

"IF, Compa! Grab a hold of eachother!" Yamato yelled as he quickly made his way to the girls who both looked understanably confused.

"What, why?"

"Trust me, you know when it happens." With a nod, the girls grabbed eachother by there arms as Yamato came up behind the nurse and grabbed her by her legs, casing her to yelp as he began swinging her, as well as IF around in a circle just like he did to the monster not a few seconds ago.

("...Oh, now I see where he's going with this.") IF thought to herself as they reached top speed, with Compa looking like she was about to barf.

"Hey, Compa! When he lets go, try to keep me spinning OK!?"

"Huh, what do you mean!?"

"Just trust me!" With a reluctnat nod, Compa braced herself for what's to come.

"Alright! HERE WE GO!" With a swift yet strong swing, he flung the two of them into the air in the dragons general direction. Following her friends advice, Compa began to twirl IF in the air, a little faster than Yamato thanks to the force of his throw.

"GO GET HIM IFFY!" Compa yelled out as she threw IF higher up into the air, right above the dragon, now completely helpless to IFs next attack from above.

"LATER!" With a swift cross motion of her arms, her qatars slammed onto the dragon with such force, that it plummeted, howling in pain as it came crashing down back to the ground. Yamato simply stood in place and calmly caught Compa, who was closing her eyes just as she was about to land on the floor, with IF managing to land just fine on her own.

"Um, Compa, you can let go fo me now." Yamato calmly told the nurse as she peaked out with one eye, only to blush up a storm with an 'eep' before wiggling out of his princess style carrying.

"Ha, well someones a charmer." IF commented, earning a small chuckle from the A-Class agent and causing Compas blush to brighten.

"Well, unlike most generic dense idiots out there, I actually try. Also, for the record, no offense to you Compa, but you're not exactly my type." Yamato chuckled as Compas blush was now less out of embarassment and more like she is peeved.

"Well that's just rude!"

"Maybe, but it's the truth. Besides I'm-*gasp* IF, behind you!" AS per his sudden outburst, the guild agent turned her head, only to be greeated by the dragon once more, looking like it can just vanish into code at any moment and is attempting to take at least one of them with it.

She couldn't react in time for it was already too late. The monster was too close for IF to dodge or block. She could only stare at it in surprise and confusion, and soon, she closed her eyes altogether, bracing herself for what's to come.

...but it never came.

Instead, with the sound of metal carving into flesh and an ear-piercing roar, she opened her eyes to see that, the dragon was split in half entirely from the head down, as both halves fell to each side and bursted into code like a monster normally does.

"Iffy, are you OK!?" IF could only kneel as he legs gave out due to what just happened as Compa came to her side to see to any damage. After a bit, she collected enough of her thoughts to notice that Yamato was crouching in front of her with his right arm outstreched in front of him.

"Phew, well that was a close one. You alright IF?" He asked as he got up and walked toward the Guild agent.

"Yeah, for the most part. That was a little too close for comfort." IF commented, and teh took notice that his sword was out of his sheath and in his hands, explaining how he finished off the target. The sword itself was a silver, double edged blade with the middle of the sword being steel grey and the end was as angularly shaped as the sheathed made it out to be, making it look more like a guilotine. Helps that the edges look incredibly sharp.

"Oh, right. Sorry if I ended up getting any wear tear or rust on it." IF apologized as Yamato sheathed his weapon.

"No need. Fellow comrades are a little more imprtant than my sword...just a little though." He commented as he gave his fellow party members a playful smirk, earning a small chuckle from IF as Compa brought her back to her feet.

"Smartass."

"Again, I try. Anyways, now that that's done, lets go report this to the Guild, shall we?"

"Alright then, lead on." With a nod from Yamato the party of three began to make there way back, preferably without encountering anymore monsters along the way. As they walked, IF couldn't help but take a few glances at Yamato. She spotted the energy that was on him as the fight went on and noted that somehow, it felt similar to that of the CPUs power.

("Could be just my imagination, but still, doesn't hurt to ask him...when we aren't in a monster infested cave. Doesn't help that recent reports from LOGIN have been scarce, even for Histoire, and she's the head of the Guilds main branch. Gonna have to keep my eyes peeled then.") As IF thought to herself, Yamato was walking alongside them in deep thought.

("That energy coming from the monster just now. There' no doubt about it...it was Manufactured Share Energy.") Yamato thought to himself. Manufactured Share Energy is what it sounds like: energy made from artificially created Sharicite. This kind of information was never released to the public, but a short while after the Friendship Treaty was signed, the scientists within LOGIN discovered and created an artificial form of Sharicite that was applicable to humans...more specifically, this is what gives most LOGIN agents there strength.

The process was simple, the agents were placed in containers full of manufactured share energy for a certain period of time and absorb it into there bodies, gaining incredible power in the process. Unfortunately at first, there were a lot of failures, usually resulting in share poisoning, mutations and most commonly the first agents ended up dead as soon as they leave the chambers.

As time went on however, they were able to place safety measures and iron out some of the kinks, and before they knew, more successful Agents were produced. Though they're were still side effects to this, but that is a story fro another time.

("Could this be the reason why monster attacks have been more recent? Knowing that sociopath we all call a doctor, this is probably caused by one of his experiments. Either way, I'm going to have to come back later and get some samples and inform the higher ups...or maybe they know something about it.") He noted, his expression changing from serious, to happy and relaxed, along with a very faint blush.

("Putting that and Ryou aside, I wonder how she's doing? Knowing that little purple headache we all call a goddess, she probably having a huge mingraine right now. Can't say I blame her. Odds are, she'll probably calm down once she sees me. That and she was the one that called us both out here, so it must've been important. Welp, can't waste anymore time then.") With that thought finished, he marched on forward with the girls in tow, back to the Basilicom.

 **-Back At The Forest-**

*Clang*Slash*Clang*

"Tch! Gotta say, this is pretty exciting. didn't expect to be fighting a Goddess today, much less my nations Goddess."

"Hm?" Blackheart gave the boy a look of curiosity with her annoyance still intact.

"I grew up in the slums of Lastation, I'm one of your people, least I was...I'd like to think I'm in a class of my own now." he cockily raised his sword towards Black Heart.

"Lace Ribbon Dance!" To answer his sword, she came at him with her signature move, running towards Ryou and performing a backflip kick, sending him into the air, jumping baxck up to kick him twice, twirled around and slashed him. fortunately he block most of it with his sword as he fell back to the ground. He quickly got back up, gathered energy into his sword and slammed it into the ground, launching an energy wave straight at her while her guard was down. she sensed it and evaded in time. regaining her footing, she and Ryou faced eachother once more.

("Damn, we've actually been at time for a while now. How the hell is he still standing!?") Noire thought to herself as her opponent looks like he hasn't broken a sweat.

"How are you still going!? You're only a B class! shouldn't those not be able to be on par with a true goddess?" Uni asked baffled as to how Ryou was still managing to hold his own with her older sister.

"Yeah that would be true, but like I said, I was brought up in the slums. Fighting was practically a given every second of everyday. Without the determination to keep going, even when your body is about ready to give up, you wouldn't survive." Ryou clasped his sword more tightly with both hands beginning to show signs of exhaustion.

"It's also a bonus that I train with Yamato every single day. I've vowed to surpass him even if he's an A class!"

"So that explains it." Nepgear said quietly. Ryou might be a B class technically, but his current power must be reaching the strength of a A class by his will and determination. Not to mention the daily practice with an actual A Class agent. She may not know much about it, but she can say now, without a doubt, that LOGIN was no joke.

"A class? So you are with that shady organization, LOGIN was it? I should have known you'd try and attack on our nation sooner or later, but you've crossed the line when you decided to put your hands on my sister and her friend. Now it's personal!" Blackheart shouted seething with rage as she prepared to lunge at Ryou again.

(Damn, I overdid it with my Acceleration on that damn Dark Plague. I'm not going to be able to beat Blackheart without accessing it.) Ryou thought not wanting to show concern but he knew that if he didn't think of something soon he was probably going to whined up like the Dark Plague.

Logically he would just need to calm down and explain the situation to Black Heart. However, her stubborn attitude would probably dismiss his attempt to explain things. Doesn't help that the adrenaline running through Ryou's veins at the moment deprived him of any simple logic at the moment. In truth Blackheart and Ryou shared one very big quality and not a good one either: hardheadedness.

"Alright Black Heart, come at me!" Ryou taunted Lastations goddess with a cocky smirk.

"Haaaaa!" Blackheart lunged at the boy as their swords clashed and sparks flew neither one of them were planning on submitting to one another.

"Uni! What do we do? What if your sister-"

"What's wrong with you?! Your the one injured and your still thinking about this jackasses well being over your own?! Stop being so stupid!" Uni yelled at Nepgear mustering up enough energy to get up and regain a form of consciousness. Despite nearly fainting her current rage at Nepgears ridiculous behavior was enough to fuel her with anger that then turned to energy.

"Uni..." Nepgear didn't know what to say, Uni had been acting very strange lately, not just today, but over the past week.

"I-I don't care about what happens to that idiot...all I care about is...you." Uni muttered, Nepgear barely able to make out what her friend was mumbling but what Uni did next caught her completely off guard as she took Nepgears hand and tried to clasp it on her own

"Uni...?! What the goodness are you doing...?" Nepgear was in shock, normally she'd naively take it as a gesture of friendship and nothing more but she couldn't help but feel there was another meaning behind it, it wasn't something you could describe, it was something she just felt.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

*Crash*

Breaking up their moment of awkward confusion between them, Ryou was sent flying into another tree courtesy of Blackheart.

"Haahahaha! Is that all?" Blackheart let out her signature cocky laugh. She was now clearly toying with Ryou and having a good laugh at his expense.

"Tch!" Ryou got up and dusted himself off looking visibly irritated.

"Now do you see why your little group shouldn't mess with Lastation? The land of-"

"Getting a little cocky are we?" Ryou gave her a smirk catching Blackheart off guard and causing her to flinch however she soon returned to her angry tsundere-like expression right after clearly becoming annoyed at Ryou's retort.

"You still think you can win? I've been taking it easy on-"

*Yawn*

Ryou let out a huge yawn just to anger Blackheart further completely, disrespecting her as he also began to pretend and pick earwax out of his ear

"So, tell me when you plan on something important and not just babble like a high and mighty idiot. Even though that is what you do oh so well." Ryou gave her another cocky smile, causing both Lastation sisters to seethe with anger. Black Heart because of the disrespect to her pride and Uni because of him belittling his sister and possibly taking Nepgears affection.

"Hiyaaaaaaaah!" Blackheart came at Ryou once more this time clearly not showing restraint, she was going to hurt him.

("Ryou, do you know what can turn the tides in a battle you can't win? Strategy, being a strategist is just as important as being a warrior you see? Chances are even with our new powers were not going to be able to win every time, especially going up against divine beings. Always remember that you need to be able to look at an opponents weak points both physically as well as mentally.") Yamato's words rang through Ryou's head.

"Yeah, Yamato. Though she is a Goddess, I can read her like a map. I got this won already." Ryou said in a low tone as if telling the words of Yamato that what he had taught him would not go to waste at this moment.

"Now, ACCELERATION!" Ryou yelled out as he pounced meeting Black Hearts attack head on...or so she thought "HAAAAAAAA!" soon a mirage of Ryou after images began to engulf Black Heart in a circle.

"Wh-what's the meaning of this?" Black Heart asked puzzled

"This is my 'limit drive' Acceleration! Everyone in LOGIN get's one! You know for situations when naughty goddesses need to be put in their place!" Ryou said in a flirty way just to mess with Black Hearts head not so much out of attraction. Though the comment did make her momentarily blush before she decided to swing her blade wildly hoping to land a hit on the real Ryou but to no avail.

"Tch, coward!"

"Coward? Oh yeah, and a goddess that attacks someone who nearly got decapitated saving their bratty younger sister isn't cowardly at all!" Ryou fired back finally... "Gotcha!" with one swift kick Ryou kicked her blade from her hand "And now the follow up..."

"Kyaaaaah!" Blackheart was sent from the skies landing on the grassy field now pinned down by Ryou.

"I would have struck you with my blade, but I figured this would be way easier... and it was! So what do you say? You submit to me?" Ryou said cockily, unaware that he and Black Heart were in quite the compromising situation. She began to blush, she was embarrassed that she was outmatched and by a human no less. However in truth this was a last resort for Ryou. His acceleration technique takes a lot out of him, especially after recovering from such a huge wound from the Dark Plague just a few minutes prior.

LOGINs manufactured sharicite allows for regeneration as long as no vitals are hit but it takes a lot of stamina out of ones body for the process. It's recommended that after receiving injuries like the ones Ryou just received that he'd take at least an hour to relax and get his body back to normal. However fighting battles back to back while relying on acceleration was needless to say "reckless" and in simpler terms very very stupid.

Acceleration uses up more stamina then any of LOGINs current members abilities but is one of the most versatile and debatably best ones to posses. However with Ryou's young age its limitations are even more apparent as the toll it takes on his young body is too great.

Once Noire had finally been put in a submissive state and transformed into her human form, Nepgear and Uni were finally able to explain to her what had happened. Ryou stood with his back planted on a nearby tree arms crossed, head slightly tilted to the floor and eyes closed. His normally cocky and hyperactive attitude was put to a halt. Ryou was no fool, he knew he had pushed his body too far. Yamato would be giving him a painful lecture if he was here.

("Ryou,what have I told you countless times?! A warrior must know his limitations or else he wont see the light of the next day.") Ryou never understood what his mentor meant, he simply shrugged it off.

"Why Uni? Why would you do something so reckless!?" Noire began to scold her sister.

"Noire...I-"

"I DON"T WANT TO HEAR IT!"

("Damn, not even Yamato is this harsh.")"Hey-" just then Noire felt a warm hand placed on her shoulder, it was Ryou's hand. "Ease up on the kid, 'sides it was my fault for not being fast enough-ack!" Ryou was struck right there and then with an elbow straight to his gut.

"P-pervert! Don't touch me!" Noire blushed as she moved away from the boy who was now groaning in pain.

"So your not a hard-headed bitch, just a bitch in general. I'm willing to bet a thousand credit that you have absolutely zero friends." Ryou said with a smirk on his face, his statement was more along the lines of playful teasing then an insult.

"Watch how you talk to my sister jackass!"

"No Uni it's okay...hmph!" Noire flipped her twin tails as a smirk came on her face as well.

"What do you expect from LOGIN scum. They're vulgar and play dirty, not to mention corrupt-"

"Woah,woah,woah, we play dirty?! Aren't you the one that just attack me while I wasn't at one hundred percent I might add." Ryou gave Noire a look of 'the pot is calling the kettle black!"

"Tch, it's not like I knew anything-"

"Yeah. That's your problem you hard headed Tsunderian."

"Tsu-tsunderian?!" Noire replied in a confused but slightly bashful manner, it was cute.

"Haha, yeah, it's a great little pet name I just thought of you. No need to thank me, it was the least I could do for the girl that ALMOST KILLED ME!" Ryou added with a hint of sarcasm, he was acting witty yet slightly aggressive.

"Don't go treating me like a dog you! Grr..." Noire began gritting her teeth wishing she had struck the smartass down while she had the chance.

The sparks could be seen colliding between Ryou and Noire's eyes and they weren't sparks of love.

"C'mon Uni were going." Noire said practically demanding her sister to follow her back to the basilicom in Lastation.

"But Noire, what about Nepgear-" Uni said timidly, not wanting to show her sister any disrespect

"!" It was then that Noire realized that her heated argument with Ryou just now had made her completely forget about the Planeptune Candidate. she felt ashamed of herself for letting her negative emotions cloud the obviously still hurt Nepgear.

"Don't worry." Ryou said as he rushed over most likely using his Acceleration to show off as he lifted Nepgear onto his arms in front of Uni and Noire, much to Nepgears embarrassment and Unis tranquil fury.

"W-W-WHAT THE GOODNESS DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Nepgear practically shrieked out as this is practically the first time a boy has carried her period, much less bridal style.

"I'm not an idiot that lets anger cloud their judgement. I'll get her home and make sure she's treated, you know like someone should have done from the start." he said in a sarcastic high and mighty tone most likely to spite the two Lastation sisters.

"Why you-" Uni began to close her fist and wanted to hit Ryou, but never got the chance as Ryou sped off into the distance with an incredibly embarrassed Nepgear in tow, visible steam coming out of her ears even from far away.


	4. Goddess Dive

After dashing back to Planeptune, turning in the quest and paying the ridiculous bill that started that whole fiasco, It didn't take long for Ryou and Nepgear to arrive at Planeptunes basilicom with his acceleration mode active.

"Welp, here we are princess." he said as he turned his head. During the run back he had decided to make Nepgear get on his back as if he were giving her a piggy back ride. This helped Ryou out a bit as his arms were admitably very tired so much so that even lifting his sword at this point wouldn't be very likely.

"Um...thank you. You didn't have to..." Nepgear mumbled and struggled to form a sentence, not from the loss of blood but rather because being pressed up against Ryou's well toned back with her soft breasts, made her heart race.

"*sigh*Just get off already." he followed up which made Nepgear realize that he still thought of her as annoying. This didn't help Nepgears self confidence in anyway and she just felt even more pathetic as a result.

"Oh right. I'm sorry..." she said as she got off of him, being careful as to not use her already injured and possibly infected arm.

Ryou would normally have gone off on her and said something like "Stop freaking apologizing!" but honestly he had no strength for it. It felt as if he was about to pass out at any moment. When the adrenaline wore off and he started to put the pieces together, he realized he had overdone it. Hell, overdoing it was an understatement in of itself. The only way he pinned Noire down was by using acceleration again knowing full well he was at his limit. Even if he didn't use a full version of it and had to settle for a less flashy way of outdoing Blackheart via the after image technique, that still wore him out. And the cherry on top of the cake was him using the acceleration to spite the Lastation sisters and taking Nepgear home.

("Y'know, in hindsight, pissing off my nations goddess and her sister, while kinda fun, maaaaayy not have been one of my better ideas. Hell, wouldn't be surprised if I was actually banned from my own home for who knows how-")

"Are you OK? You look really sick." Nepgear said as she looked at Ryou more closely. He looked ghostly pale and his eye's were half shut, making his exhaustion all the more obvious.

"Nah, I'm fine, don't worry about it. Let's just go in..." Ryou said trying to shake off his exhaustion.

"Your coming in?!" Only for Nepgear to raised her voice a few octaves in a panic. She has never came back home accompanied by a guy, so she is very shocked and embarrassed at the prospect. That's not even mentioning what Neptune might do to him, with that whole banned from marrying thing still fresh on the candidates mind.

"Yeah? Gotta meet up with Yamato and get our mission over with." he said confused by Nepgears panic. Seems like Ryou is dense as hell when it comes to the emotions of a teenage girl. Then again, surviving in the slums for most of his life might've hamper any social skills he may have, if he had any at all.

Entering the basilicom the first thing the two were greeted with was...

"Took you long enough, huh?" Yamato leaning on a nearby column with his usual smirk on his face. Ryou simply shrugged it off, prompting his mentor to get off the column and walk towards him, his smirk shifting to a much more serious expression.

"OK, all joking aside, what kept you for so long? I've been here for almost two hours now and no word from you."

"Look, can we just talk about this later? I feel like I'm going to drop like a brick any minute now and this teeny-boppers arm is all messed up." Ryou answered, jabbing at the injured candidate behind him. Yamato immediately took notice and walked toward the candidate, with Nepgear figiding a little from the close proxemity.

"U-Um..."

"Give me your arm." He said bluntly, with Nepgear presenting her injured arm to Yamato.

"Hmm...Yep, this is definitely infected."

"Yamato, who is it?" Before Yamato could examine anymore, Histoire came up from right behind him, with Compa and IF in tow.

"Oh, good timing. Compa, do you have your first-aid kit? We've got a wounded here." Yamato asked, leading the three of them to look to where he is, only for them all to go wide-eyed when they spotted Nepgears injuries.

"Ge-Ge, are you OK!?"

"What the hell happened!?" The two makers didn't hesitate to rush to Nepgears side and assess the damage. While that was going on, Yamato looked to his student, his eyes alone basically telling him to explain, with Histoire wearing the same expression.

"*sigh* Alright, before you chew me out, let me explain."(That's if I don't fucking pass out first.")

 **-One explanation later-**

"..And that's how she and her blowhard of a friend got themselves beaten by the damn thing and I ended up wasting a lot of energy not only reckting the bastard, but also getting Black Heart of all people off my back after a retarded misunderstanding caused her to attack me." Ryou took a breath as he finished explaining to his master and Planeptunes Oracle what exactly happened, all the while Compa was putting the finishing touches on Nepgears injury, wrapping it in fresh gauze and making sure it wasn't too tight, with assistance from IF of course(don't wanna repeat of Neptunes mummification.).

"There. That should do it for now. Try to give it some time to heal, OK Ge-Ge?"

"OK. Thank you Compa."

"Well, at least you all got out of it alright. Still, you do realize we're both going to catch hell if word gets out that you fought a CPU?" Yamato scolded, although he raised an eyebrow when he caught Ryou looking at Histoire as if he were dreaming.

"That aside, Teach, this has been on my mind for a while now but..." Ryou trailed off as he walked toward Histoire...and began poking her in her chest.

"What the heck is this? Some kind of toy?" Ryou said while continuing to poke her, not even registering that she is a living person. While that's happening she herself was so shocked an embarassed she turned beat red, Compa, IF and Nepgear all had there jaws wide open, and for some reason, Yamato looked like he was going to kick his trainee in the groin over a thousand times.

"Ah...Ah... AAH! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOUNG MAN!?" Histoire practically shrieked out after finally regaining her senses.

"Holy crap, it can talk!?" Ryou backed away for a moment, both at her yelling and the fact that she seems to be capable of speech.

"It, is a she, and she happens to be Planeptunes Oracle, as well as the one who called us both here." Yamato answered from right behind Ryou, not even trying to hind the unknown irritation in his voice.

"Wait, it- I mean she's Planeptunes Oracle!? Man, next thing you know, Nepgear over there is the CPU around here."

"CPU Candidate actually." Nepgear corrected for him, causing Ryou to get a little slack jawed.

"Ahem!" Ryou turned to Histoire again, only to back away a little upon sight as her face was now red in anger, and at least several tick marks were visible on her head. At this point, it finally click to Ryou as to what exactly he did, and he couldn't help but panic a little, despite his exhaustion.

"Uh-Oh."

"Uh-Oh, is right! You were poking at her chest the entire time you perv!" IF chastized him in the sidelines.

"Well how the hell was I suppose to know, she's like 3 feet tall and riding on a damn book!"

"Yamato, would you kindly keep him still for a moment?"

"Wait, wha- Hey!" On Histoires command, Yamato came from behind and put Ryou in a hold, keeping his pupil completely still, and since Ryou is almost dead tired, he isn't able to put up much resistance. He tried looked to his master as to what the hell he's doing , but was only met with a blank stare. Looking back to Histoire again for a moment, he saw that her eyes were shadowed out by her hair, and he swears he's seeing a black and red aura around her that practically screams killing intent.

"Well Ryou Ayumu, for what it was worth, it was nice meeting you..." She said in a calm and polite manner, though anyone can tell its a facade at this point. And what she said next proved this point.

"...Good-bye." With that, Histoire began gathering an enormous amount of energy in front of her and aimed it straight at Ryou.

"Wait, whoa whoa whoa whoa! Can't we just talk about this!?"

"Try to take it like a man, Ryou."

"Rrr, not helping Yama-"

"Nep Nep Nep Nep jr!"

"What the hell is...OH SHI-!"

*Crash*

 **-A couple of hours later-**

"Ugh...what the hell..? Feels like I got hit by a truck." Ryou thought as he held his head. Normally he'd be able to take a hit from damn near anything, but due to his excessive use of his powers up to now, just about anything was bound to make him collapse.

"So your finally up? That's good." the soft voice of the girl he's been trying his best to avoid rang through his ear like an unpleasant screech. Ryou turned his attention to his side and saw Nepgear sitting on a chair close by. He also realized he was in a lilac colored room lying down on a lilac covered bed.

"Let me guess...this you're room?" Ryou asked plainly and uninterested.

"Ah! N-No, this is the guest room! We just got you here after Neptune knocked you out...well, more like Yamato carried you on his shoulder, but that's not the point!" Nepgear spat out uncontrollably, embarrassed at Ryous accusations. He silently noted that her sister, Neptune, was likely the CPU of Planeptune everyone was talking about.

"Oh, also, sorry about my sister. She can get a little crazy sometimes and just runs into everything headfirst...not that I don't find that kind of thing endearing! I love my sister and all-"

"Don't care." Ryou flat out stopped Nepgear from uttering another word as he just plopped his head back onto the pillow. "Anyway...know where Yamato is-huh?" the dense teen was cut mid sentence by the sounds of an almost crying Nepgear.

*sniffle*

"Hey!...Don't cry...ugh geez."("Man, this chick is easier to crack than a soft egg.") the atmosphere began to get awkward for both parties. Goes to show that not only can Nepgears feelings get hurt very easily, but Ryou isn't exactly the 'knight in shinning armor" type. I mean how could he? He never had the privileged of having a normal dating life, his days were spent fighting day in and day out. With the exception of a certain red head with a megaphone, he had never interacted with any other girls on a personal level.

"I'm sorry for being so annoying I-" Nepgear began to dawdle in her self pity once more. It was annoying Ryou, but at this point lashing out at her would be the less smart thing to do. He wasn't a complete idiot, nor a total jerkass.

"Sorry alright? I just...I'm not good with this sort of stuff-" Ryou tried to explain what he meant but was cut off once again.

"You mean your not good at being a decent human being? Hmph, I'm not surprised." the stern tsundere like voice echoed through his head and lit a fire in him as he turned and saw the goddess of Lastation had now entered the room.

"Yeah, like your one to talk you damn tsunderian!" Ryou fired back.

"Who are you calling a tsunderian!"

"Tch, the psycho bitch that's right in front of me obviously! Anyways, why the hell are you even here?"

The bickering continued to go on and on with Nepgear unfortunately caught in the middle. It seemed like there was no love loss between Ryou and Noire as once again the sparks between them lit up the room and they definitely not the romantic type.

"Hmph! Whatever, arguing with someone like you is beneath me. I won't stoop to your level. Uni wanted me to check on Nepgear, that's all." Noire said in a self righteous voice as she flicked her twin tails and gave Ryou a scowl.

"Tch, look at you playing the concerned and mature type, well your not fooling me. Anyone with a pair of eye's could see your just a selfish freaki-"

"Ryou, enough!"

"!" Ryou quickly paused as he turned his attention away from Noire and saw his mentor with a stern expression on his face, sighing while rolling his eyes. Yamato only ever gave Ryou that look when he had had enough of the rebellious boys immaturity.

"Picking a fight with Lastations goddess isn't what a hero, much less a member of LOGIN would do. Now quell your anger."

"Yes sir." Ryou said as he toned down the immaturity level all the while gritting his teeth as he caught a glimpse of Noire giving him a prideful smirk. ("Damn bitch...") he thought but for his mentor he kept a straight face and took the goddesses insult.

"Good, now that that's settled, it's time we came and did what we really came here to do." Yamato said as he began to walk away in a mysterious fashion.

"Huh? What we really came to do...?" Ryou gave his mentor a puzzled expression not knowing exactly what he meant.

"Heh, it's time to get promoted to A class. you up to the challenge Ryou?" Yamato turned his head slightly back to make eye contact with his pupil as he gave him a smirk and a thumbs up as Ryou's eye's lit up like an inferno

"Oh fuck to the hell YES!" Ryou said with enthusiasm, blasting his way out of bed and practically pushing Noire out of the way, which was intentional on his part.

"Hey-!" she yelled as she was almost knocked down by the dense boy who had dashed out of the room like a mad dog. "I'm not done talking to you idiot! Did I say you could leave! Hey! Agh!" Noire scowled as she regained her balance and went after the pair.

In the end. Their she sat, the girl that everyone seemed to have forgot was even in the room to begin with.

*Sniff*Tear*

Nepgear began to hurt a lot. this sort of stuff happened to her often, especially during a certain incident where she and her sister were sent to another dimension. But right now it seems as though shes beginning to reach her breaking point. At this point, she didn't want to be everyone in Gamindustri's doormat anymore. She wanted to be treated like a human being for once in her eternally youthful life. Nepgear cried silently drowning in her self pity once again and once again trying her best to contain her emotions and bottle them up, unaware of the consequences if she holds them for too long.

* * *

"Alright teach, Ryou Ayumu reporting! Ready to be promoted to A Class!" Ryou entered the room where his mentor went into with a grin and stars in his eyes, the thought of his dream finally becoming a reality was too good to be true.

"Hm? A Class? Histy what's this class mumbo jumbo this studmuffins going on about." Along with Yamato and Histoire, Ryou spotted a third person in the room in which the voice originated...that strangely is more annoying than Nepgear somehow. She looked a bit like her, only more midget sized, wore two D clips instead of one and an oversized purple and white hoodie that doubled as a dress, blue and white stripped socks and purple sneakers.

"Woah, first of all don't call me that, second, who the hell are you?" Ryou pointed towards Neptune, only for her to be beaming for some weird reason.

"Well, since the handsome loverboy that broke my fall asked so nicely, I guess I can give you a proper character introduction." Neptune said, leading her to clear her throat, and from the sidelines Histoire just groaned and Yamato simply muttered "Here we go again." as they both know what's coming.

"Heyo there! The names Neptune! Planeptunes CPU and the one and only main character of this entire series and all the fanfics out there! Nice to meetcha, my little studmuffin." Neptune bombastically and teasing introduced herself, with Ryou just visibly sweatdropping at the sight.

("Aw crap, she's even worse than her doormat of a sister. I mean I know people say she's easy going, but this is just some really wacky shit right here.") "Hmm? The hell...?" He commented as Neptune seems to be sizing him up, making him feel uncomfortable.

"Hmm, y'know getting a good look at you up close, you're some pretty hot stuff. Still though, first a "Demonic Beta-Male", then a "Geek with a Fetish for Space", and now a rebellious hero. Man, the author really knows how to vary his OCs." Neptune rambled on, with Ryou being incredibly confused with what the hell she's even talking about. He looked to Yamato, only for his mentor to mouth to him "Don't ask.".

"Anyways, what brings ya here? Wanted to come see little ol' me?" Neptune tries to be cute.

"One, my name is Ryou, not cutie or studmuffin. And two, no I didn't come here to see an annoying tween like you." Ryou shot down almost immediately. While these two were shooting the shit back and forth, loud gasps could be made out close by the door. All 4 occupants looked to see and exhausted Noire leaning on the door-frame.

"There...haa...you...haa...haaa...are..." Noire pointed to Ryou, just barely catching her breath.

"Woah! Nowa, you're just in time. and man, your really out of shape these days huh? Might wanna considering doing some cardio."

"You...haa...are, haa... the absolute LAST person I want to hear that from, considering you do nothing but play games and eat pudding every day!" Ryou flat-out face-palmed at that comment.

"Wooooow. Between her and her doormat of a sister, I'd say Planeptune is pretty much screwed."

"Nobody asked you jerkass!"

"Geez Noire, calm down. See, this is exactly why you don't have any friends at all."

"WHA!?"

"AHA! Knew it! Now where's my damn credit!"

"Ahem!" Yamato cleared his throat and looked around the room at everyone, Histoire, Ryou, Noire and Neptune, with Compa and IF leaving a short while after Ryou got knocked out and Uni and Nepgear being who knows wherever else."This is going to be a little difficult to explain but try to keep up. This goes double for you Ryou, since whether you succeed or not is going to either make or break it for you."

"Understood, I'll do whatever it take's teach! Just name it!" Ryou said eagerly awaiting his mentors command, With Neptune saluting in the sidelines and Noire roling her eyes at the act.

"Hehe, glad to hear that. Well since I know your a man of your word Ryou, I want you-"

"Yeah...?" the whole room was waiting on Yamato to finish his sentence.

"To dive into Goddess Blackhearts 'Core'."

"...WHAAAAAT?!" the two CPUS and B-rank agent screamed out.

"T-teach?! Is this some kind of bad sex joke? I don't want to sleep with this chick just to get promoted! Nuh-uh! Not happening!"

"HEY!" Noire shouted at Ryou annoyed and insulted but blushing furiously. While the feelings are mutual, she didn't like the fact that he was so against the idea. That was a huge blow to the goddesses prideful nature. Yamato placed a hand on his head as he sighed, as these turn of events and misunderstandings are starting to give him a heachache.

("And to think that this is only a fraction of the crap Hist goes through on a daily basis.")"It isn't anything like that, although in a sense you can think of it as the first step towards that...*sigh* look just be mature about this will you?" Yamato said to his pupil while giving him a slightly annoyed expression.

"Alright." this time Ryou let out a sigh but he knew whatever Yamato said goes "So what do I have to do...While were at it, what do you mean her 'Core'?"

"W-wait wait wait! I didn't say this pervert could *gulp* 'dive into my core!'" Noire said as she gulped and blushed furiously clearly embarrassed.

"Oh! If Nowa doesn't wanna do it, I'll gladly trade places!" Neptune came out of nowhere as she grabbed onto Ryou's arm like a fangirl would to her idol.

"*Sigh* Fuck my life." Ryou let out a sigh but didn't have the morale to push Neptune away, all he could think at the moment was ("how the hell did it come to this?")

Yamato let out a loud sigh, this would make it the thousand time in his mind as he placed his hand to his face. He's surprised that he didn't have a handprint on his forehead by now.

"I didn't think it would be this hard to get a bunch of teens to cooperate, and that's saying something considering that two of them are at least hundreds of years older than I am." Yamato said in a semi serious manner trying to keep his calm demeanor intact. In truth, he wanted this to be a simple process but he should have expected as much from Lastations goddess and his semi rebellious pupil. Doesn't help that they didn't meet in the best of terms.

"*Clap*Clap* Now you three, listen up!" Histoire called out, somehow successfully getting there attention, with Yamato smiling in the sideline in thanks.

"This is all for the sake of your respected nations. This young man will not only be obligated to dive into you Noire, but every other goddess if they were to start experience the symptoms you've been exhibiting recently."

"Wha? Ya mean Nowa is getting sick Histy?" Neptune asked, genuinely concerned while Noire just looked to the side in well-hidden shame.

"In a way yes. It seems that lately Lastation has been losing its Shares for a while now, and as a result Noire has been losing her strength. Though the cause is currently unknown, Yamato and I were able to do some research in the span of 3 months." Histoire went on.

It seemed as though Histoire and Yamato had been working on this behind everyone for a while now, keeping them in the dark so as to not alarm them... and also possibly to keep it from Neptune who has the biggest mouth and would blab about this to anyone, especially on Chirper(with a special mention going to a certain incident involving Neptune 'accidentally' uploading pictures of Nepgear getting violated by dogoos to the internep). Looking over at Noire she began to blush and had a look of embarrassment in her eyes, she definitely didn't like to be made out to look weak but she couldn't fight facts. Not even her stubborn nature could pull her out of this one.

"I see...that's why she was so easy to pin down." Ryou said in a disheartened tone as he began to realize if Blackheart was at full strength things could have been differently.

("If that's the case...") "Screw it! I'm in!" Ryou proclaimed much to everyones shock.

"What's with the sudden change?" Yamato asked his pupil.

"When I fought Blackheart back at the forest, practically neither of us were at our best." Ryou clenched his fist and looked at the floor "I can't have that!" he looked up with fire in his eyes.

"I'm going to dive into you Blackheart and then I want a rematch! No breaks! No BS!" Ryou pointed his finger right at Noire causing her to flinch but to keep a flustered expression. When he said "dive into you" it sounded pretty bold to say the least.

"Aw, no fair Histy! why can't I have this studmuffin inside me instead of Noi-OUCH!" Neptune whined but was then struck on the head by Histoires tiny hand.

"Don't talk like that young lady! I don't know what's been up with you lately but that sort of vulgar behavior is not becoming of a proper goddess!" Histoires lecture seemed to go on deaf ears but went on nonetheless, with the only person who seems to even care is Yamato.

("Guess the purple airheads getting introduced to puberty eh? Ha! About time. Few hundred years late Neptune.") Yamato thought as he let out a smirk.

"Hey Yamato, one thing I don't get, if you know about this then why can't you do it?" Ryou looked at his teacher with a questionable look. "I mean why me? Does it need to be someone from LOGIN? If so then we have two other guys that could-"

"They're not compatible and neither am I." Yamato said bluntly as he gave a serious but honest expression to his pupil reassuring him that he wasn't pulling his leg.

"Why not?" Ryou knew better then to question his mentor, but he needed to know, he wasn't ready to freely accept that there was something unique about him of all people; a troubled teen that grew up in the slums with the power to dive into a goddesses being essentially seemed waaaaaay off.

"Listen Ryou." Yamato let out a sigh as he gave his humble pupil a gentle smile and placed his hand on his left shoulder. "I know this may come off as a shock and I understand why it isn't believable and why it may be too much pressure, but if it makes you feel any better it wasn't just you who was originally thought to be the only one. Yoshiro was also a candidate."

"Yoshiro, huh. Man, haven't heard about that pompus- Wait a candidate!? You mean he was also compatible!?"

"Well, to an extent. from the research that we gathered, the person in question must be the opposite sex and around the same age as the CPUs are, at least on a physical level. He must possess a good amount of sharicite infused within him as well as above average physical and mental strength. In that regard, you both fit the build. He is a B Class too you know."

"Um, who exactly is this Yoshi guy if you don't mind me asking? Also, what do you mean infused sharicite?" Neptune after being barraged by Histoires lecture finally decided to eavesdrop on the mentor and pupils conversation much to Ryou's frustration(and clearly forgetting what Histoire told her about LOGIN literally the day before.), however Yamato explained.

"Yoshiro Makoto. Former resident and lady killer of the Thieves Den, also known as Leanbox's zest pool for illegal and pirated transactions." Yamato said in his usual calm demeanor leaning back on the nearby wall as if reminiscing.

"Tch, Thieves Den isn't that bad. I been around there and all I seen is a bunch of posers and wannabes talking a big game but not being able to back it up." Ryou said as he crossed his arms and gave a smug smirk as if trying to proclaim his dominance for all to see.

"This isn't a competition Ryou." Yamato immediately brought his cocky pupil ego's down as Ryou gave an apology and they moved on. "The point is the both of you qualified to try and use the Share Blade. do you remember that day Ryou?" Yamato paused as he asked the question to his pupil, with Neptune, Histoire and Noire going immediately silent upon hearing "Share Blade."

As Ryou thought back to a few weeks prior there was a test where he and Yoshiro both eligible for an upgrade in equipment. The sword in question was quite appealing, with the blade itself being entirely made of what looks like pale green energy, and emitted a holy aura. The guard was triangular shaped and was colored white and gold with black trims, and the handle was of the same color pallette and reaching at least a foot long. This was the reconstructed form of the Sharicite Blade, dubbed "X-Calibur"

It was created during a time where the nations declared a temporary alliance to deal with a world ending threat, and by cleansing a shard of an already existing lost demon sword with sharicite and Purple sister reverse engineering it, they used it to slay a powerful monster hell-bent on destroying the world. It was soon after destroyed so no one else would use it, but LOGINs science division found parts of the blade and managed to reforge it.

Unfortunately, even if it wasn't quite the genuine article, neither Ryou or Yoshiro were able to control it as in the aura it emitted eventually pushed them, no, rather it launched them away.

"I didn't pass the test though, the blade knocked me back." Ryou said in a slight monotone voice with a hint of confusion.

"True, but the doctor was calculating your percentage of compatibility. Yoshiro got a 45% compatibility percentage while you got a 67% to 75% percentage. It was quite unsteady though it rose up rather then dropping down. Your potential to hold a blade held by a goddess is their and as Histoires research suggests, the one human that is able to do this is able to perform the sacred ritual of 'Diving'. "

("Ugh, Kujo. Man, just hearing that sociopaths name give me the creeps...wait, now that I think about it.")"OK, before we get into the nitty gritty, mind if I get something off my chest first?"

"...Go on." Yamato said as Ryou shifted his gaze to Histoire for a moment.

"May I help you?"

"Gonna just get this out the way but...sorry for kind of poking your chest." Ryou said plainly, causing her to frown and the two CPUs in the room to get slack-jawed.

"...and now you made it awkward."

 **-Back in the guest room-**

*sniff*sniff*

Nepgear continued to sit in the chair, lonely and hurt with no one even acknowledging her presence, that is until...

"Hey! Why are you crying now ugh!" Uni's voice broke the CPU candidate out of her sad trance.

"Oh. Uni you came over?" Nepgear was partially happy to see her bestfriend come by. Out of everyone else, she seems to be the only one to actually care about her, even if she does share her sisters tsundere tendencies.

"Noire had business here so I decided to tag along, it's not that I was worried about you or anything!..Well, OK maybe a little." Uni admitted as she lowered her head slightly down in embarrassment and began to blush. Nepgear gave her a smile. Uni always knew what to say to make her feel at ease.

"You didn't have to run off with that idiot you know, I hate the way he was carrying you...I could have done that too if you gave me some time to recover." Uni said as she pouted and poked her fingers together, all the while moving closer to Nepgear. Seeing this, she decided to get up and sit down on the bed now rather then the chair so that the two of them could sit side by side. She signaled for Uni who complied while still maintaining a flushed expression.

"I'm sorry Uni, but he offered and I couldn't refuse his kindness-"

"He wasn't being kind!" Uni suddenly snapped at Nepgear causing her to look into Uni's eye's with shock and a bit of cowardice. "He was only doing it to spite me and my sister and probably fill his own ego. there's no way he cares about you or ever will!" Uni yelled at her friend but was blissfully unaware that was crossing the line. Uni finally realized how much hearing that had hurt Nepgear as she bit her lip and tried to comfort her

"H-Hey wait! Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, please don't cry! I just- I don't know how you can be into him and not *mumble* into me." the last words Uni spoke were mumbled, hard for Nepgear to hear but caught her attention none the less as she looked up and into Uni's eyes. Finally...

"Un-Hmph!" Before Nepgear could react, Uni leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips. She was in so much shock that she didn't even react as her best friend continued, but once Uni began to use her tongue to pry open Nepgears mouth, she quickly pulled away and stood up, much to Unis confusion and heart-break.

"UNI! WHAT THE GOODNESS DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!" Nepgear shouted as she stood there, with all sort of emotions flying in her head all at once.

"I-I..." Uni didn't know what to say. She was so caught up in the moment she didn't even realized what she did until it was far too late. Looking at Nepgear now, she could have potentially just severed the bond between them because of that sudden impulse, her heart sank and she felt like she was going to break into tears at any moment. "Nepgear- I...I-I didn't mean to-"

*KABOOM*

"Kyaaaaaah!" suddenly a shockwave that could have been mistaken for an explosion erupted within the room, knocking Nepgear out and stunning Uni. Nepgear laid unconscious while Uni struggled to get up , bruises all over, her vision was blurry but she tried to get up.

"Nepgear..."

"This one should do hehehe. she's only a candidate, but the doctor will be able to use the sharicite inside of her to cook up a new creation." a young mans voice could be heard as Uni tilted her head slightly with all the strength she could muster and saw three figures in black robes all wearing white pale masks.

The solid white masks made them look eerie and surprisingly dangerous. Uni was afraid, but that didn't stop her from making sure Nepgear was safe "Don't touch her, if you do I swear-" Uni gritted her teeth as she threatened the three robbed figures while trying to get back up.

"Look what we have here. A stuck up little Lastation bitch threatening the 'Ghosts' haha this is rich!" the voice of another man could be heard as he walk up to her...

*CRUNCH*

"AAAGH!" Uni shrieked in pain, she could swear her fingers had been broken by the mans foot that had slammed onto her hand.

The three figures only had one distinctable feature that being their bodies. There was a tall, slim young man with an average build. From what Uni could tell he was the leader based on his lack of taunts and calm demeanor. There was the heavy set body builder type man who was tall with broad shoulders who was probably in his early 20's and is the one that had just crushed Uni's fingers. Finally the last one being noticeably shorter then the other two , petite but with an obnoxious voice. the one that had uttered the first bit of dialogue talking about using Nepgears sharicite for some 'doctors' experiments. The Body Builder tried to knelt down to her...

"Stop." the calm demeanor figure, the one Uni determined was the leader spoke up to her surprise, and even more of a surprise it was the voice of a female. If Uni was to take a guess she sounded young, about her teens. It was a gentle, monotone yet stern voice.

"Tch!" the heavy set body builder figure removed his foot from Uni's now crushed hand.

"Hey. The Doctors not going to be happy-" the short figure spoke but was cut off by the female voice.

"I know. That's why there's no need to cause damage to the girl, take her as well." the female voice spoke.

"Ha! now that's more like it!" the muscular figure proclaimed as he grabbed Uni by the waist and held her by his side like a sack of potatoes. She tried to resist, but whatever they used has her almost completely drained.

"That's our leader, cold , calculating and sexy as fu-"

*Slash*

"Whoa!" the short figure was signing their leaders praises but she quickly pulled out what looked like an oriental straight sword and held it to his neck. "I'm sorry I'm sorry!" he begged and pleaded.

"If you're done being lewd, Let's go." the female voice said as the figures known as the "Ghosts" took their leave. As they went, Uni took a look at the unconscious Nepgear who looks like she was crying again. Before she lost consciousness, Uni could only mutter one thing...

"...I'm sorry."


	5. Fire and Ice

Author's Note- Well it's finally here readers, a very long overdo (emphasis on the long) chapter/update. Lately we felt like we've been drowning you in action scene's for the most part so this time we tried and sprinkle a little "fanservice" (if you want to call it that) and romance. Let us know if we accomplished that goal if we didn't there's always the next arc. Speaking of arcs, were about to wrap up what I call the "Prologue Arc" and we'll be moving on to some filler romance , the Lowee and Leanbox Arcs (names still haven't been decided) so don't worry there's no main love interest yet...the harem has yet to be fully built. With all that out of the way, we hope you enjoy this chapter, feedback is welcomed, thanks for reading and we'll see you in the next one.

* * *

"...You get it now Neptune?"

"Yeppers!...So what were we talking about again? I think the last time we left off, Ryou was apologizing to Histy for sorta, kinda, maybe poking at her chest." Yamato face palms again as he got done catching Neptune up to speed on Artificial Sharicite and the concept of Diving, only for it to, in usual Neptune fashion, go straight over her head.

("Geez, Ryou may be a bit of a handful, but he's no where near Neptunes level.") "OK, long story short, LOGIN had created and has been utilizing Manufactured Sharicite to give most members the power they have. Since it is very recent, it is even more scarce than real Sharicite, and hence we only use to augment our abilities. Diving is basically someone going into another persons subconscious and interacting with there, what some call, "Dream World", which can be done if those both individuals one, trust eachother enough, two, have enough share energy within them and three are compatible with one another. This information is confidential to the public, and only your fellow CPUs and the other Oracles know about it, so please, for the love of the true goddess don't blab about this on the internep."

"Oh, OK. Whatev's Yami. The Neps lips are sealed." As Neptune casually said, he turned his head to Histoire with an annoyed look. From there one could say they spoke to eachother with there eyes only.

("Make sure she is locked out of Chirper for a while.")

("Already done.")

"Yaaawwn, Yamato can we hurry up already? I'm falling asleep here." Ryou commented as he mocked yawned in front of Noire.

"Well you're patient."

"Eat me Tsunderian."

"Alright, enough bickering you two. Now that Neptune actually knows what's going on, now is finally time to-"

*KABOOOOM*

"Nepu!"

"Whoa! What the hell!?"

"What!? An explosion!?"

"It came from inside the building. Ryou!"

"On it. Lets roll!" Ryou and Yamato bee-lined out of the room with few hesitation, with Neptune and Noire right behind them. They quickly find the source of the noise, opening the door to the guest room only for it to be empty, with most things scattered about and a gaping hole leading to the outside.

"What the hell? Looks like someone blasted in here with a freaking rocket launcher."

"Wait, hold on! Wasn't Nep jr in here?"

"And didn't Uni come in here a few minutes ago?" In response to the elder CPUs worry, the two LOGIN agents head towards the hole in the room and looked onward, scanning the area ahead to see if they can spot the perpetrators or the missing Candidates. Thankfully, the guest room is on a relatively high floor, so they're hoping the perps haven't gone far.

"...There!" Yamato pointed to a small group on the horizon. Upon closer inspection, Ryou could see that there were 3 black-cloaked figures were racing for Planeptunes border, with an unconscious Nepgear and Uni in tow.

"For the love of...How much trouble can two candidates cause!? Aw, screw this!"

"Ryou, wait!"

"Acceleration!" Before Yamatos warning could reach his ears, Ryou jumped out of the hole and literally ran down the side of the Basilicom at high speeds down to the streets below and dashed off towards the "ghosts" clad in black.

Meanwhile, the mysterious group marched on with the unconscious candidates, Nepgear being hung on the petite ones shoulder and Uni being carried under the larger ones arm, while the leader was ahead of them taking point.

"Once we've reached past the borders and out of the city watches sight, we'll take route 4 beta to return to headquarters undetected. Understood?"

"You got it boss lady. The sooner we drop off these little light-weights to the doctors lab, the better." The large one replied to the leader, with the petite one sighing in a mix of irritation and exhaustion.

"Is something troubling you Ken?"

"Naw. Just wondering what the hell the doc wants these two for?" The petite one, now known as Ken asked his leader.

"That information is confidential, and even I do not know. All that we were told was to retrieve a CPU or CPU Candidate and bring her back to the lab." The leader answered in her usual stoic tone.

"Ya think we'll get any brownie points for snagging this flat-bitch too." The larger one asked while shaking an unconscious Uni, presumably on purpose.

"Don't get your hopes up Hagane. Remember the last time yo-"

"HEY ASSHOLES!" The three man squad looked behind them, only to see a speeding Ryou about a few miles away, heading straight toward them, looking particularly pissed off. Whether this was due to the kidnapping itself or the fact that the two candidates that are being kidnapped are causing more trouble for him is anyones guess.

"Aw crap, someones chasing us! Now what!?" Ken panicked just as soon as he saw Ryou. There operation was suppose to go undetected just as there group name implies, so having one person, much less someone like Ryou, spot them is an embarrassment, not to mention what kind of trouble they'd be in for.

"..." The leader stopped and looked dead straight at Ryou, who keeps inching closer to them. She turns her entire body around and stand towards the B-Class agent as if she were guarding a gate for intruders.

"Hey Ryuko! The hell are you standing there for!?" The large one, Hagane, yelled out, confused by there leaders actions.

"I'll stay behind and deal with him. You two go on ahead and take route 2 gamma instead. That will get this man off your trail." The leader, Ryuko, ordered as she drew her sword and clenched it in a defensive stance. Compared to someone like Ryou, her stance is a lot more stern and composed, along with an air of chivalry and elegance to it, both metaphorically and literally as it seems that small bit of air currents started to gather around her.

Both Ken and Hagane backed away a bit, and even with there expressions well hidden under the masks, it was obvious that they were intimidated. They both looked at eachother and nodded in agreement, turned around and ran for it.

"Break a leg out there boss!" Ken yelled as he and Hagane managed to at least get a good distance away with the still unconscious Candidates in tow, literally seconds before Ryou came barreling forward, only a few meters away from meeting Ryuko.

"Tch! Outta my way!" Seeing Ryuko blocking his path, Ryou drew his blade and made a mad dash towards her, hoping to get a hit and run on her before continuing on his chase.

"RAAAAA!" He swung his sword with all his might to her...

"HAA!"

*CLANG*

"Huh!?" Only for Ryuko to easily parry it and send Ryou back a fair distance, with the whiplash from his speed hitting him full force, causing him to stagger in place. Regaining his footing and stance, Ryou looked toward his adversary, who is standing completely still and showing no signs of breathing, as if she were a living statue. not only that, but Ryou could tell that even with her ivory mask covering her face, she was staring at him intensely.

"Hmph, a tough one are we? Well then, guess I have sometime to kill before your little amigos get away with those two." ("That said, I better take this one a bit seriously. If she can parry one of my attacks at full speed, then she means business.") Ryou, putting up a cocky front, drew his blade again and took up a stance, ready to throw down with the stoic Ryuko.

"...Ryou. We meet at last." But before Ryou could take a step forward, Ryuko finally spoke to him, with a tone that, while mainly stoic, there was something else in there that be couldn't put his finger on at the moment.

"Heh, so you've heard of me? Figures, I mean I am kind of a big deal." Ryou began to boast and sing his praises secretly as a way of keeping his cool in front of the girl that seemed to more or less have his number.

"Not really. All I've heard of you is that you're Yamato's second in command for jobs that he deems unworthy of his time." she said, striking a blow to Ryou's ego.

"Tch!" Ryou, not taking too kindly to her retort braced himself for another quick lunge.

"Hmph. Sorry to say, but right now I have a job I need to complete, so you'll have to be patient for now."

"Fuck! That! SHIT!" Ryou tries chagrin at her once more, hoping to get a hit in this time.

"Fool!" Unfortunately, Ryuko parried his incoming attack with such ease that even he was startled, and then immediately swung her sword at him with full force. He managed to block it in time, but not only did it manage to graze him on his shoulder, but the force of the blow itself was so strong, it sent him skidding a few meters back.

"Hmph. I have no time for this. So I shall make your defeat swift." Ryuko declared as she, for the first time, charged forward towards Ryou, with the force of her step propelling her at mach speed, closing the distance between them in seconds.

"Dream on!" Ryou rebuffed as he swung his sword in time with her, leading them into a clash, there blades locked with one another. Sadly, Ryou was quickly overwhelmed as Ryuko pushed him back with little effort, while he himself used every ounce of power he had just to keep up. Breaking out of there clash, the two warriors began to strike at one another, constantly parrying each-others attacks. However, Ryou was constantly on the defensive while Ryuko blasted him with strike after powerful strike, as if the wind itself was aiding her. Soon, Ryuko broke out of there lock and swung her sword horizontally with all her might, wanting to finish the battle on one blow. Ryou managed to block it, but the force of the attack alone was so powerful it not only disarmed him, but it also sent him flying straight into a nearby boulder, coughing up blood as he landed back onto the ground.

"Gah..." Ryou was on one knee holding his gut and breathing heavily. The girls power was overwhelming, easily rivaling Yamato in terms of pure strength. Ryuko planted her sword right in front of her as she gazed upon her defeated opponent.

"You show promise but your swordsmanship is severely lacking. Through our struggle, you've had at least three opportunities to get the upper hand and take me down yet you did not. Want to know the reason?"

"Bite me." Ryou said as he lunged once more only to miss completely and catch a kick to the back of his head at full force.

"Agh!" Ryou's skull shot with pain as the force practically buried his face into the ground.

"It's because your grossly large ego clouded your judgement. Dare I say it rivals Black Hearts Damnable pride." Ryuko stated to the half conscious Ryou, all the while pulling her sword out form the ground and sheathing it.

"*sigh*...Still, why did it have to be you I face on this day." Ryuko stated to herself, her normally stoic tone being laced with melancholy for a moment. Before she could say anything further, Ryuko spotted two individuals from a few miles back that are heading in there direction, both wearing skin-tight black leotards, one with silver hair and the other with purple twin-braids.

"Damn, I wasted too much time." Ryuko turned around and was about to take her leave, only for her head to turn to Ryou one last time.

"...My name is Ryuko. We will meet again." She said as she turned back around and fled the scene, with a barely conscious Ryou still lying on the ground. Ryou was only able to mutter one thing before passing out...

"Urgh...Damn it. Not...again..."

 **-In the sky/distance-**

"Ugh, what does that moronic battle maniac think he's doing charging off like that without thinking!? He's no different than your common mercenary."

"At the very least, he took initiative. With his speed, he might've caught up with there captors by now. If we hurry, we might be able to catch them."

"I don't need you telling me that Neptune!"

Both Neptune and Noire, now transformed into Purple Heart and Black Heart respectively, are currently flying within the skies near Planeptune. After Ryou sped off on his own to catch up with there sisters kidnappers, Neptune and Noire didn't think twice to transform and follow him, while Yamato stayed behind to investigate the crime scene, to see who exactly kidnapped them.

As things stand now, tensions are high and neither CPU has any time to doddle. Both there sisters safety is on the line and they are hurrying as fast as they can to get to them and Ryou before anything else happens. Purple Heart has mainly kept her cool, but Black Heart on the other hand, due to recent events both personal and otherwise, is even more stressed than she's ever been.

Between Lastation going down the gutter and putting up with both Ryou and Neptune, having Uni get kidnapped by what they assume are experts is the last thing she needs. Though she doesn't show it often, she does in fact care about her younger sister a lot, but her pride sometimes gets in the way of showing it.

As for Neptune, while even she would admit that Nepgear has been kind of a doormat for a good long while, and even she has taken advantage of her kindness on occasion(more like all the time), but she ultimately loves her sister more than anything. Hell, she would even be willing to go to another dimension entirely and back just to save her. Not only that, but she herself hasn't even apologized from the early mornings incident, so all the more reason. The only reason she's keeping calm right now is because Noire isn't.

"Look, Noire, I know that you're just as worried about Uni as I am to Nepgear, but we need to keep focused if we're going to catch up with them." Purple Heart tries to persuade/calm down her fellow CPU.

"Tch, fine. But I hope that Ayumu deviant knows what he's doing. Else it will be on his head." Black Heart replied, while still visibly agitated, has now calmed down somewhat. After that little discussion, they both scoped out in front of them to catch sight of either Ryou, there sisters or there captors.

"Huh? Down there!" Looking down for a moment, Black Heart spotted a figure down below.

"Wait, isn't that Ryou!?" Purple Heart took a better look and confirmed that it was indeed the B-Class LOGIN agent, face-down on the ground and not budging an inch. She immediately flew down to check his status. Putting a finger on his throat, Purple Heart breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, he's just unconscious."

"Yes, but where are the perpetrators! Ugh,you know what nevermind, I'm going on ahead!"

"Noire, wait!" Purple Heart tried to stop her, but Black Heart just darted off ahead, not even stopping to listen.

"*sigh* Sometimes I really think she's too stubborn for her own good." She commented to herself as she looked back donw to Ryou. She gently turned him over on his back to assess the damage on him.

"Hmm. Whoever he was fighting must've been very formidable if they were able to do this. I must get him back to the Basilicom to recover." With that, Purple Heart picked up Ryou and carried him on her shoulder with her arm around his back and her other one to his chest. A visible blush could be seen on her face as she felt her rather well-toned body. She shook her head out of her own daze and began flying back, but not before turning to Noires direction with a solemn look on her face.

"Nepgear. Wherever you are, please be safe."

Over onto Black Hearts side, she continues to fly forward an onward past the border a long time after she left Purple Heart behind, looking left, right, high and low to see even a single trace of the kidnappers. She searched and searched and searched, but couldn't fine any sign of them.

"Uni! Uni can you hear me!?" Noire called out, hoping to hear her sister anywhere.

...However she heard nothing. Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. Other than the occasional monster, he couldn't see any signs of either candidate or there kidnappers. They were just gone. As if they were never really there.

"Grrraaaaaa! Show yourself you cowards!" Noire practically roared as she flew fast and furious ahead. completely determined to find her sister and her best friend. She's already losing her land as of this moment, and she'll be damned if she loses her sister now.

"Hang in there Uni..." She said quietly as she flew off onto the horizon.

 **-A few hours later-**

("Ugh...what happened?") Ryou couldn't move or speak, but was now conscious, if only a little. His earlier battle with Ryuko has had him worn out. He didn't even bother to try and move, but just laid down and kept his eyes closed, keeping himself to his thoughts.

("Oh, right. Got my ass handed to be by some high and mighty twat. What was her name? Ryuko? Bah, whatever. Still today was a freaking great day. Nearly got killed twice over, met two equally annoying CPUs and there bratty younger sisters, and now here I am warm and snugly in the dirt...wait. Warm?") Ryou, his curiosity getting the better of him, decided to open his eyes at last...

"Yoohooo! Morning my little soldier boy." Only to be met with a face full of Neptune.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Ohoho, nice reaction there Ryou. And what a fine pair of abs- I mean lungs you have." Neptune teased to his rather disturbed roar, all the while wearing a faint blush on her face.

"What the hell are you doin!?" Ryou yelled back all the while trying to push Neptune off of him, with the purple airhead offering up a bit of resistance.

"Compa! Oh, Compa~!" Neptune tilted her head to the door calling her nurse friend as if she were a pet dog. At the same time Ryou noted that they were back in the guest room.

"Did you call for me Nep-Nep?" Compa chirped as she walked inside with IF right behind her, the former not even phased by whats going on in front of them, while the latter is just giving Neptune an incredulous stare.

"Well ya wanted me to let you know the moment he woke up...well he's awake now."

"We can see that Nep. Also, why the hell are you under the covers with him?"

"That's what I wanna know! Also, why the hell are you nude...WHY AM I NUDE!?" True to his words, both Ryou and Neptune were indeed nude onder the bed covers...or to be more appropriate, Ryou is just in a pair of black boxers and Neptune is only wearing her blue and white stripped panties and matching sports-bra.

"Well, Compa had to take your cloths off to treat you right, so of course you'd be in your birthday suit. Though if it makes you feel any better, I saw her trying to take a peak, hehehehehe." Neptune said slyly, completely with Cheshire cat smile.

"Wha!? I wasn't peaking! Stop lying Nep-Nep!"

"Yeah, you're the one who was trying to pull his pants down while he was unconscious. While you're at it, will you get off him already? We don't want the neighborhood reporting about a screaming girly-man."

"Hey, I heard that!"

"And ruin this perfectly good time to bond with my soon-to-be boyfriend? No way Iffy. I'm practically the fan favorite when it comes to harem fics, so it's only natural for me to have these kind of scenes first."

"OK, just because we speak the same language, doesn't mean I automatically know what the fuck you're saying. Now would you kindly listen to your tomboy of a pal over there and get the hell off me!"

"No can do buster. After this, we are going to be the OTP of this whole fic, so kiss me you fool!" Neptune proclaimed as she made a kissy face and tried to go in for the kill.

"I SAID GET OFF!"

*KICK*

"Nepu!" But due to Ryous quick thinking and a sudden burst of adrenaline, he managed to break out of her embrace and kick her off the bed and sent her flying across the room.

"That's what you get, ya lit- ach!" Ryou tried to say, but he flinched in pain as he grabbed onto his wounded shoulder.

"Don't move around too much! You need to give it time to heal." Compa proclaimed, but Ryou simple shrugged off her warning and he easily got up from his bed and rotated his shoulder.

"Don't sweat it. I'm sure it'll heal just fine."

"You sure. You looked like you got one-hit KO'd when Nep brung you back."IF asked, both concerned and annoyed at his stubborn nature.

"Hey, I've been through worse, and as much as I hate to admit, getting owned by some bitch wearing a mask ain't gonna wear me down. Besides, there are two annoying candidates missing and I don't wanna waste anymore time in a bed...especially with that weirdo." Ryou proclaimed, all the while jabbing a thumb at the aforementioned CPU getting back up...who somehow got her hoodie dress back on despite being indecent a few lines ago.

"You say that now, but just you wait. By the end of this fic, you and I will be the most shipped couple in all of Gamindustri!" Neptune said with her usual dorky smile.

"Psh, yeah right..." Though Ryou immediately shot down her delusions.

"Hehehe. You haven't even seen my HDD side yet, so who knows. Heck, maybe I should transform right now! I know you'll be singing a different tune after that."

"I'll believe it when I see it. ("Though if she can put up a better fight than Black Heart, I'd change my mind.") Anyways, you seem pretty calm for someone who just had her doormat of a sister kidnapped." Ryou said, raising an eyebrow to the CPU of Planeptune.

"Now that he mentions it, you really seem to be taking Gears kidnapping kind of lightly Nep. Shouldn't you be out with Noire searching for her and Uni and not trying to get into this guys pants." IF added in, with Ryou giving her a stare at her subtle comment.

"Oh no, it's not like that. I am worried about Nepgear. I'm like super on edge even. It's just that the baddies got away by the time we found him so we couldn't find them. And besides, she's not a little tyke anymore, so even if I don't, which I will, she and Uni can find there way back on there own."

"Ya sure? Cause you're little sis seems like the clingy dependent type to me." Ryou pointed out.

"That and after what happened today, I don't think Gear was in a good mood today. You know how she gets."

"Hmm, you have a point." Neptune agreed.

"Well that's a first." IF retorted.

"Anyways, gotta bust a move. Later gators!" Ryou said to the trio as he hastily got his cloths and sword and ran out before any of them could catch him.

"Good grief. That punk is gonna get himself killed at that rate. Wouldn't be too surprised if I find him in the morgue tomorrow...that or mummified by Compas bandages."

"Hey, that's mean Iffy!" Compa retorted, slightly hurt by her childhood friends comment.

"Eh, sorry Compa. Didn't mean to sound like that." IF quickly apologized.

"..." Neptune just sat there quietly at the door where Ryou left, which is a major first for her.

"Urgh, man I must've taken a lot more damage then I thought. Doesn't matter, I gotta kick it into high-gear now, otherwise those two brats are as good as-"

"Oh, Ayumu. You're awake?"

"Huh?" Ryou turned around just as he was about to exit the basilicom, only to see Histoire floating right by him with an envelope in her lap.

"Oh, howdy there...Histoire was it?"

"Yes, and good evening to you. How are you doing young man?" Histoire asked Ryou who, while showed otherwise, is still looking a bit sore from his previous fight.

"Heh, to be honest I've been better, but no time to rest! I need to get back out there and rescue those brats ASAP!" Ryou replied to the concerned looking tome as he gave her a thumbs up and then proceeded to leave the basilicom and make his way back to LOGINs base where Yamato was probably at.

The plan for Ryou was simple. He would go meet up with Yamato, get scolded at for being reckless and after getting a thrashing/lecture from his mentor, they would come up with an idea to rescue the candidates. Knowing his mentor, he figured Yamato might've found some clues to there kidnappers by now. In reality though, this may prove to be a feeble attempt as logically speaking the candidates may already be forever lost. There's no certainty that they'll still be alive, but Ryou didn't want to think like that. He couldn't think like that. Ryou did not want a repeat of what happened to him when he was a kid. The only things that were etched into his memories from then was fire, blood, and bodies...a lot of them.

"Before you go, I think you should read this." she said catching Ryou's attention.

"Huh?" Ryou turned around and saw her handing him the envelope. but upon closer inspection, he saw that it had LOGINs official seal and more importantly, Yamato's signature. Ryou didn't even hesitate to open it up and read what's inside.

The letter read:

Ryou, due to recent events, I believe it would be best if you remained stationed by Planeptune for a while. I already made the arrangements with Histoire, so feel free to make yourself at home. Though don't give her a hard time and be useful. You already know how Neptune gets, and with Nepgear currently missing, I can only imagine the migraines she'll probably have. I'll contact you when I get everything sorted out, though I don't think I can give you an exact estimate on when that will be. Again, you are not to come back to the base under any circumstance, understood? That is an order from your superior. -Yamato

PS: I know Neptune and Noire can be a huge pain, but they're good people at heart, so for goddess sake, don't try to pick anymore fights with them. You're going to be diving into them, as well as Blanc (Lady White Heart) and Vert (Lady Green Heart), so even if you hate both of them, just try to get along.

PSS: Don't let anything bad happen to Hist. Make sure she's safe.

"Bull! Fucking! Shit!" Ryou yelled angrily as he crumpled the paper and threw it over his shoulder.

"Sorry Teach, but I'm not going to just take a backseat and act like everythings okay. I'm going to find those brats and bring them back safely, whether it be with your help or without it...That's what hero's do." Ryou whispered out whilst clenching his fist.

("I'm not going to let anyone else die, ever again. I can't, I won't!")

Histoire had no idea how to react to the boys surge of determination and aggressive demeanor. A part of her was frightened and another was impressed. Though she's only have seen him for s short while now, it would seemed as though Ryou shares Yamatos fiery determination and iron will. Whether or not Ryou was as reasonable and/or as able to take responsibility as much as Yamato was yet to be seen. However, the resemblances between the student and teacher was beginning to be more evident.

"Histoire, I need to go..." he clenched his fist once again and turned his back on the oracle. But before going he turned his head slightly. "Don't worry, I'll hold up my end of the bargain with my teach. I'll keep you safe. consider it as a way of making up for groping you ehehehe."

Histoire sighed and rolled her eyes, seeing that the differences between them are far greater. Seems as though the boy still had some growing up to do. It couldn't be helped he was still a dense teen after all.

"Later!"

With that final word, thumbs up and cheerful smirk Ryou used his Acceleration and left Planeptunes basilicom.

"Be careful out there. You mean a lot to Yamato, more than you can imagine. And he's already failed you once, so if something were to happen to you now, I don't know how he would cope." her words of course fell on deaf ears as Ryou had already left.

 **-Outskirts of Planeptune/Midnight-**

"Haa...Haa...Haa... OK, maybe Accelerating in the dead of night may not be the brightest idea I've had all day. Freakin' hindsight." Ryou told himself as he trudged along the outskirts. He had been searching for quite a while now, not even stopping once to take a break, but had found no leads in the end. It didn't help that he left Planeptunes basilicom without actually having a plan thought out, rather he let his emotions take control of him as they often always do and just ran. He used his Acceleration to run at high speeds until finally his endurance gave out...possibly to try and shake off the demons that have been creeping up on him since failing to rescue the candidates. Glimpses of the bloody scene on that faithful day a few years ago in the slums kept filling his head like a bad nightmare replaying over and over again.

As Ryou came to a halt by a nearby forest to gather his thoughts, he heard his stomach grumble upon coming by a nearby apple tree.

"Man, I haven't eaten since that big brunch Nepgear treated me to. Guess now is a good time as any for an apple break I guess." he kicked the tree just hard enough to shake one of the red fruits off of the branches and into his hand.

"*Sigh* Still though, today really wasn't my day was it?" he began to lay down on the tree. slightly hunched over trying to collect his thoughts and keep a cool demeanor as best as possible, but in reality that wasn't going to last.

("Yamato always had the brains to go with that massive butcher knife of his. If he was here, maybe, just maybe some progress might already have been made.") Ryou thought as he took a bite of the juicy fruit. He knew that he couldn't always rely on his mentor to guide him. These days he seems more like a father/older brother figure to him, and as such Ryou figured that this was Yamatos way of letting him grow on his own for once.

As Ryou began thinking more and more, he remembered the things the girl who he had fought told him as she taunted him.

("Yamato's second in command for jobs he deems unworthy.") Those were the words she had said and they left an imprint on Ryou's ego as he began to grit his teeth and punched the tree behind him, not only causing more apples to fall, but leaving an indent in the bark. Needless to say Ryou's ego had been taking blow after blow today, so much so that it would be an understatement to say today wasn't his day.

*Sniffle*Sniffle*Sob*

"Huh?" just then he heard what sounded like someone crying just past a nearby bush. When he went to look at who the weeping came from it was none other then...

"Blackheart...?" Ryou stopped for a second as he saw the ravened haired goddess crying her eye's out.

("Damn, she looks like shit. How long has she been out here?") This wasn't the prideful somewhat, bitchy tsundere he had met a few hours prior. She looked emotionally destroyed.

"Huh? Y-You!" Noire practically glared daggers at Ryou she saw him emerge from the bushes.

"Yo. Looks like you've had better days huh?" Ryou tried to start up a conversation, but ultimately failed as Noire wasted no time lunging at him with her sword. She was not in goddess form however, so dodging her swings was only a matter of Ryou moving from left to right. She was clearly getting weaker as time went on, with each swing and stab getting even sloppier.

("Her condition must be getting worse. Guess I'm not the only one having a crappy day.") Ryou thought accurately. Between her nation slowly declining and her people losing faith in her at a faster pace, her sisters capture has her in an immense amount of emotional turmoil.

"Ah!"

After her mediocre attempts at trying to 'slice' Ryou with her sword, assuming that's what she was trying to do in the first place, she eventually lost her footing causing her to drop her rapier and fall onto Ryou's chest, the force sending them both back onto the apple tree nearby. As they just sit there in their current position, Ryou could feel Noire's wet tears stain his shirt, but he actually didn't mind. In fact he didn't mind the fact that the girl he had not gotten off to a good start with was now placing both her hands gently on his chest and slightly burying the side of her face on him too.

Ryou was slightly flustered, despite her somewhat unappealing attitude, he still found that kind of cocky, confident, prideful, arrogant attitude sort of...attractive.

("Wow, I must have some major issues.") he thought to himself. He can only guess that he was into prideful woman. Not to mention she wasn't bad on the eye's either. In fact she could possibly rival the goddess of Leanbox in terms of beauty.

("What was her name? Lady Vert? I think Yamato mentioned her in his letter.") he wondered as his mind wondered off for a second to a time when he was in the slums telling his group that he was "Going to marry the most babeilicous babe in Leanbox, Green Heart herself." when he made A Class in LOGIN. Sadly, this was one of many shallow reasons Ryou had for wanting to join LOGIN...at first that is.

"Hey..." Noire looked up to his face, her ruby eyes becoming even redder with her constant stream of tears.

"I know I said I wasn't really good with this kind of thing but...it's going to be okay..." those were the only words Ryou could say to the crying goddess who was still leaning on him.

"...I tried so hard."

"Come again?" Noire took a deep breathe and looked to him once more.

"Being a leader of a nation is never an easy job. filing and signing tons of paper work, taking high-level quests at the guild, constnatly competing with other nations, and everything lse that comes with being a leader. Being a naturally hard worker myself, it was only natural for me to take responsibility like that. Hell I'm practically the one who coined the term "We can only do everything." and I took a lot of pride in that."

"..." Ryou only stayed silent as Noire continued on.

"Even so, it never got easier, even after the treaty was signed and we CPUs finally stopped our war. When our nation started to fall behind, I did everything I could to get it all back and then some, but no matter what I did, for some reason they just kept going down. Sometimes I felt that all my hard work would be for nothing."

"Uni was working hard too. Hell, now that I actually thought about it, there were times where she was working harder than me. Sometimes doing better even. I was pretty proud of her...too bad I didn't even notice until now." Noires voice started to crack and tears began to well up in her eyes once more.

"She always tries hard and does everything she can just for me to praise her, hell to even at least notice her. But I never did. I was too preoccupied with my duties that I just brush her aside, as if she never really mattered to me. *Sniff* All she wanted was for me to look at her, and I didn't even give her so much as the time of day!"

"Noire..." Ryou called her by her name for the first time.

"I just took her for granted, and now she's gone! She's gone and...*sniff* and..." She couldn't utter another word as she buried her face onto Ryous chest and cried once more. She feels that as if her pride and nature had drove her sister away, and as such feels partly responsible for her kidnapping.

Gradually her weeping subsided at last, leaving only a huge wet stain on Ryou's shirt. However she still wouldn't budge an inch from there position. It was almost as if she was waiting for him to do something, at least that's what he felt. The thing is Ryou was a dense idiot in some regard, though he did know how to read certain situations more or less based on experience. He took a deep inhale and exhale, knowing that if he wasn't reading this situation right he would get slapped or possibly kicked literally to another nation.

("Well, there's a first time for everything.") he slowly and gently wrapped his arms around Noire, as to make sure she isn't startled.

"...!" Though she did not react violently, Noire was nonetheless caught off guard. She didn't know how to react to Ryou's very out of character action. Again, like him she hadn't gotten off to the best start with him and she even called all of LOGINs members scum some hours prior, though it was for another reason that she herself can't explain right now. In her emotional state however, she just wanted to be embraced by someone, anyone in fact. One of the tough things about being a goddess besides the hard work, countless hours and stress that comes with it is not being able to have anyone by your side.

This mostly applied to Noire and Blanc the most but Vert also bared this burden though she coped with the loneliness that had been building up in Noire and Blanc by indulging herself in MMO's among other games. Neptune was much the same but being the most immature,casual and free spirited of the bunch, a relationship or having a significant other didn't really come to her mind.

Granted they had there younger sisters and there oracles, but Vert doesn't have a sister and can't notice Chikas affections to save her life, the twins practically torture Blanc with pranks on a daily basis with Mina as a peaceful emissary, and now that Uni and Nepgear are gone, as well as Kei and Histoire hard at work themselves, both she and Neptune truly don't have anyone to rely on in moments like these.

"D-don't think I'm doing this because I l-like you or anything..." she finally spoke up as she accepted his embrace and let the warmth from his body move into her currently cold one. It was almost as though the fire in his heart was beginning to melt her icy one. Ryou smirked as he closed his eye's and continued to embrace her.

"Of course not, and don't think I'm trying to make a move on you just because I'm holding you, b-baka!" He retorted in a joking manner, making Noire sigh, roll her eye's but surprisingly enough, giggle as well.


	6. Purple Lover

**Author's Note** \- Ladies and gent's it's finally here. We bring to you the long anticipated chapter 6, hopefully this brings in some more of those romance vibes you've been waiting for and if it doesn't be sure to tell us what we can do to do so :) Anyway about the future upcoming Megadimension Arc, there's still time to cast your vote for the OTP (one true pairing) right now it seems one girl has the slight edge...but who knows it's still anyone's game. For those of you that don't know what this "Megadimension Arc" will be it's basically going to be Ryou inserted into Victory 2's story with a few tweaks and possibly mixing in our own original ideas. Mixing both our original plans and the Megadimension events seems like the best route to go at the moment since I think it'll give people the best of both worlds. Let me know what you think in a review or a PM I'm always around to chat ^^ Till next time, MM DxD Outtt!

* * *

Welp, here you are princess." Ryou said to Noire as he dropped her off at her Basilicom.

"Hmm, do I detect a hint of sarcasm?" Noire turned and addressed Ryou with a slight scowl, crossing her arms and furrowing her brow.

"Hehehe...maaaaybe." Ryou said as he gave her a sly smirk.

"Hmph." Noire turned away still scowling ever so slightly while continuing to have her arms crossed, but she didn't move an inch. She continued to stand still as if waiting for Ryou to say or do something else or possibly not wanting him to leave at all.

She, in a way, wanted to muster up the strength to tell him to come inside and keep her company throughout the night. With Kei gone for the night and Uni gone period (for now), the Lastation Basilicom was very much out of life. But in true tsundere fashion, her pride would not let her even attempt to get those words out at least not at the moment.

"Hey Noire."

"Hm?"

"You're actually pretty cute when you scowl...so maybe I'll keep teasing you some more from now on, haha!" Ryou said with a devious grin and followed up with him sticking his tongue at the goddess causing her to blush furiously.

"Huh!? Why you-!"

"Welp, take care now. I'll keep in touch, and if I find anything out about those two, you'll be the first I call. Later!" and with that final statement of reassurance, Ryou was gone at light speed, again not having a game plan but he felt that if he stayed any longer with his nations goddess, things might start getting...complicated.

"Ugh! Nuh-uh, absolutely not!" Ryou said out loud as he brought himself to a stop possibly from the fatigue of all of the energy he had been wasting accelerating back and forth... But that fatigue wasn't what was causing his current inner conflict.

("She's a goddess, more importantly she's my goddess! That's like total taboo!") a ordinary human or as they're known in Gamindustri an "NPC" being the technical term, being with a CPU also known as a goddess was something not only unheard of but not meant to even be thought of. Of course that didn't stop the erotica writers who sold that type of stuff in the underground markets from making a quick buck. In reality it would be any male and possibly female NPCs dream to be with a CPU. Heck, Ryou himself said when he was younger he would marry Vert, but that was more of a prepubescent kids delusions and of course he wanted to sound "cool" in front of his peers at the orphanage where he grew up in.

"Hmm." he stood still crossing his arms still lost in thought. Noire did show a different side of herself today. Hell, He's never seen anyone like her so vulnerable. Makes him kind of wonder what Yamato might be like when he gets emotional. Ryou has only ever seen his mentor at his best, As a strong, stoic warrior who can be a bit of a wise-cracking jackass when he wants to be. Despite there time together, he's never really got to truly know him.

Pushing his thoughts of his mentor aside, he put his mind back to Noire for a moment. When they first met, he almost immediately didn't like her, despite being his nations goddess. To him, she was just a haughty bitch with her head so far up her rear end she could practically see out of her mouth. But after Lastation got hit with the recent recession in shares, and her sister and doormat of a best friend got kidnapped, the instant she held onto Ryou and started sobbing on his chest, her personality took a 180. Behind the mask she wears, she's actually a pretty nice person. She's caring, hard working, a bit of a tease sometimes, not to mention that in either human or in HDD, she's just drop dead beau-

"NO! No no no! Hell no!" Ryou frantically stopped himself mid-thought in a panic.

"You know what, I'm just hungry that's all! Hahaha yeah! Boy, it's true what they say in that Snuckers commercial back home "you ain't yourself when your hungry", Hahahahaha!" Ryou said out loud as he shook his head from side to side furiously attempting to get the thoughts of a relationship with his nations goddess off. He's already got a lot of shit on his mind, and he sure as hell doesn't want to add a possible relationship with a CPU on top of all that. Speaking of which...

*stareeeeeeee*

"Huh?"

It didn't take long for Ryou to sense someone hiding, possibly stalking him as he spoke out loud. He figured he'd bring attention to himself eventually, but who could it be?

"You could come out now, whoever you are. If you surrender now I promise not to kick your ass too bad, haha!"

"Whaa, you'd lay a hand on little ol me? Well I guess if your gentle, I wont mind too much. it'll be my first time you know, ehehe."

"Oh fuck me..." Ryou turned to see that his unfortunate suspicious were confirmed, as he saw Neptune popped out of a nearby bush, with twigs and what looks like a birds nest in her hair.

"*Sigh* Neptune, what the hell are you doing here..." Ryou replied with a hint of sarcasm and annoyance in his tone. He would drop kick this little goddess on acid and make a run for it, but at this point he was exhausted and no longer had the energy to even push Neptune away much less deal with any more of her shenanigans. So, with a sigh, he figured he'd just roll with whatever nonsense she had in her crazy head and maybe, just maybe, she'll wonder off...probably.

"Did you think I'd just let you run off into the night without you giving me a goodnight smooch, my little soldier boy~?"

"Ugh, seriously? I think I've made it perfectly clear by now that the answer is no!"

"Oh, and I suppose you're into tsunderes then?"

"What the hell gave you that impression?"

"Well it was kind of obvious with how nice you were being to Nowa back there. Heck, you even carried her all the way back here bridal-style..." Neptune stopped mid sentence, all the while now donning a face that Ryou could only describe as...freaky. Oddly enough, he might've seen it before, but he just can't quite put his finger on l he could recall is that it starts with a "Y".

"Heeeeey! Wait a nepping minute! Why were you being all lovey-dovey with Noire anyways!? I'm suppose to be the main heroine here!"

"One, we weren't being "lovey-dovey"! I just dropped her off after I found her. And two, why the hell are you calling yourself a heroine like this is some sort of bad fanfiction!? If anything, I'm the hero around here!" Ryou yelled back at her whilst jabbing his thumb to his chest.

"Then all the more reason why you should have those kind of scenes with me! The main Hero and Heroine are always the OTP of any story. It's like RPG/story-telling 101."

"Pfft, yeah, in case your hearing is shot, I'm going to tell you again that I'm not into prepubescent tweens that act like they are on drugs!"

"Oh really? Hmm. Well, in that case..." Neptune stood still for a moment as a column on light surrounded her, and as soon as it disappeared, Neptune was gone and in her place was the lady of war herself, Purple Heart.

"Whoa! How the- what the!?" Ryou visibly flinched at her transformation, now more than a little surprised that the same zany girl is now replaced by a more mature and curvy woman.

"...Then perhaps this should be more to your preference?" Purple Heart asked in a sultry tone, all the while crossing her legs forward and putting an arm under her chest, putting emphasis on her D-Cup breasts. Ryou just only stood there, still a little shell-shocked over the fact that the pipsqueak that has been annoying him for the entire day turned a full 180 and became a very mature and seriously attractive young woman.

"Tch, don't try to play tricks on me. I'm not falling for it!" After finally getting out of his shock, he simply yelled out the first thing that came to his mind in a surprisingly bashful way. Although, he doesn't realize it at the moment, his body isn't moving one inch as Purple Heart slowly made his way towards him.

"Well you're saying that now, but it looks like you're body is saying something completely different."

"SHIT, YOU CAN SEE THAT!?" Ryou quickly looked down to himself, particularly in his nether region, only to see that nothing has changed. Now dawning a new shade of red on his face, he looked back to Purple Heart and saw that she has a really satisfied expression all over her face.

"Oho. It seems that work like a charm." Purple Heart commented as she slowly made her way to him, with Ryou's body finally catching up with his own brain and started to back away a bit...only to be stopped by a tree conveniently place right behind him.

"H-Hey, you did that on purpose!? Quite screwing with me!"

"Oh? Whatever do you mean? hmhmhmhmh." Purple Heart simply acted innocent as she got closer and closer to him, right up to the point where her body is simply an inch away from coming into contact with his. Within range, she began looking straight into Ryous eyes, now wearing a healthy blush of her own.

"D-Don't ask all innocent." Ryou bashfully retorts, but the instant her body presses onto his, he just froze in place. Before he realized, Purple Hearts face was now very close to his, to the point where he could feel her breathing on him. Under normal circumstances, he was just use Acceleration and get the hell out of dodge. But one, he was very exhausted from todays events so he would more than likely pass out. the second thing, much to his own confusion...he's actually not resisting this.

Just about an hour ago, he drop-kicked this girl out of his bed when she tried to have her way with him, but now here he is, pinned against a tree with said Goddess looking like she's getting ready to french him. As if a small part of him actually doesn't mind. Moreover, it almost feels like he is being drawn to her. He thought back for a moment and found out that he actually felt this way when he was with Noire as well. When she was embracing him just minutes ago, he felt similar, if not the same as he does now.

As he just stood there, Purple Heart closed her eyes and inched closer to his face, with the full intent of kissing him. Ryous mind was telling him to get the hell out of there, but his body was staying completely still, relaxed even, as if telling him to just let it happen. Whether its exhaustion or something else is beyond him at this point.

("*sigh* Looks like I'm not going anyway. Oh well, guess this isn't the worst way to have your first kiss. At least this version of her is actually appealing instead of a raving lunatic.") Ryou finally caved in and simply closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable to happen. He waited, and waited, and waited...and nothing happened. Peaking open one eye for a moment.

"Got you." Purple Heart poked him lightly on the forehead, wearing a very teasing smirk on her face. Ryou had to get a double take in his head in order to figure out what just happened. As soon as he got his barrings...

"What the..."

"*giggles* You really didn't think it would be that easy did you?" With what just happened along with Purple Hearts comment, Ryou couldn't help but feel a little insulted. Dense he may be, but he doesn't like to be toyed around with.

"OK, seriously? What the hell!? That was not cool!"

"Don't be too surprised. While I can safely say that I am indeed attracted to you, I'm not going to be giving you my first kiss that easily, even if my human form says otherwise. Either way, you're are about as easy and fun to tease as Noire." Purple Heart told him straight up, satisfied with what she has accomplished. Ryou on the other hand finally moved from his position and just sighed in massive irritation. Never before had his pride taken such a hit.

"Tch! Geez, for someone who just got her sister kidnapped, you sure are taking it well. Hell, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're glad that she's go-"

"Not another word!"

"Geh!" Ryou froze completely the instant Purple Heart yelled at him, the goddess herself now seething with sudden rage.

"Oh...Forgive me. I did not mean to snap." Quickly catching herself, Purple Heart quickly apologized, but now looked pretty upset.

"N-Nah. It ain't you're fault, so no worries." Catching on, Ryou assured her to try an ease her nerves, all the while noting to himself that her sisters kidnapping is a pretty touchy subject.

"..."

For what seemed like a while, the two of them just stood there in silence. They exchange glances every now and then, but they were only brief. For Ryous part, he was starting to get a little frustrated, and it shows. He did not lie when he told Nepgear and Noire that he really wasn't good with these kind of things.

 **(BGM PLAYING: Theme of Elfe- Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7)**

"Umm..." After a little while longer, Purple Heart finally decides to break the silence.

"Hm?" Ryou quickly turned his gaze to her while noting the rather meek tone in her voice.

"...Y-You'll have to forgive me. I am not very good in these kind of scenarios."

"Oh? That right?" Ryou asked, as he sighed internally in relief, knowing that he isn't the only one.

"Yes. As you are well aware of by now, I am not the type of person to just let the times get her down. I usually don't let it bother me at all, even to the point where I even kill the mood every-time a serious scene plays."

"That so?"

"Indeed. I do get reprimanded for it on occasion, but again I don't let it affect me. It is simply who I am after all...but that doesn't make me insensitive about it, nor do I just ignore the issue outright."

"...So, you're really worried about your sis, but you're just not showing it?"

"You can say that."

Ryou couldn't help but sigh internally, his thoughts on the purple airhead getting turned on its head just as much as Noires. He honestly thought that she was always a happy go lucky nitwit, but that is only half true. In fact, to him, her attitude is both how she is, and also acts as some sort of coping mechanism.

When times get tough or serious, she puts on a happy face and tells jokes, no matter what it is, how others see her as or even how she's really feeling. She would be lying if she said there wasn't a moment in her life, in and out of canon, that she doesn't regret. In fact, she has several. She regrets trying to leave Compa and IF behind when she got her memories back. She regrets bringing her sister belong to stop ASIC, only for her to get traumatized from it, and especially treating her like dirt in Victory.

The only time she actually told anyone whats she actually felt was when Peashy left them after they had an argument over pudding, and even then it took Iris Heart to draw it out. As for now (in a completely fictional timeline), she regrets even more...but the one thing she regrets now, is not apologizing to her sister when she should have.

"...But why?"

"Hmm?" Purple Heart looked to Ryou more intently.

"Why do you just put on a happy face whenever shit hits the fan and just bottle everything up? It's not only unhealthy, but its pretty stupid to do."

"Hmmm..." She ponders on Ryous question for a moment.

"Are you familiar with the comic relief character?"

"What? The overly cheerful, eccentric, annoying moron of the group."

"Not how I would put it, but yes. They are usually used as one who lighten up the mood, usually during or after a serious scene occurs, even if the others get annoyed by them."

"Pfft. Suits you about as good as that plug-suit of yours."

"Hehehehe. Don't flatter me." She teases with a faint blush. Ryou simply shrugged in response.

"Anyways, as you said I do fill that role, but more often than not, I'm also the main character, so it is a must. A main character must always be positive and act accordingly, so that it can inspire others to keep going even when all else fails. Heroes are the same way, are they not?" She asks without hesitation. While it did catch Ryou completely off-guard, it was mostly surprise at the fact that she uses his "Hero" attitude to her advantage.

"Yeah, you're right. Heroes are always brave and strong, no matter what they face. Hell, you could pit me against an army of a thousand Ancient Dragons and I'd take them out without breaking a sweat!" Ryou said proudly whilst jabbing a thumb straight to his chest.

"*giggles* I thought you would say something like that."

"Heeeeey. What's that suppose to mean?"

"Anyways..." Purple Heart ignored Ryous question and continued on.

"As I said, I'm usually placed in a role where I have to be the one to stay positive, even if I have to, to quote Iffy, "Murder the fourth wall" doing so. Sure enough, it suits me very well, with the way I am, but..."

"But you don't know how to react when shit really hits the fan, so you just act like you usually do to cover it up."

"Yes."

"And I suppose you comin' onto me like this is a way to get your mind of your sis?"

"Yes...and no."

"Hmm?"

"I did not lie when I said I was attracted to you, you being the male lead, and a looker to boot...even so, I really don't know what else to do."

"..."

"I am worried about Nepgear, truly I am. Sure, she can be a bit clingy and overprotective, and a lot of the time she was, as you say, a bit of a doormat...but I never wanted something like this to happen to her."("This is worse than that time I left her in the Ultradimension back in Victory. *sigh* I won't be getting the "Best sister ever" award after that stunt.") Purple Heart thought to herself, as her face started to morph from concerned to sad and downright worried sick. Something one does not see on her face very often, if ever.

("Geez, guess they both took there sisters for granted. Pfft, reality check.") Ryou thought to himself as he looked to Purple Heart. Even if he can afford not to care in this situation, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her and Noire. That and a small part of him felt as if this was his fault.

"...So, what are ya gonna do about it now that you've got that load off your chest?"

"Huh?"

"Clinging to me and acting like a moron isn't gonna get your sis back. If you keep that up, you're probably gonna break...I know this because I've been there." Ryou whispered out that last part.

"Huh?"

"N-Nothing. Anyways..."" He brought a hand to his chin and thought for a moment before facing her once again, this time with almost absolute certainty.

"Tell you what: If I hear anything about those two, or if I somehow figure out where those bastards have taken them, I'll take you with me so we can save them together. How's that sound?"

"Truly! You will!?"

"Yep. Figured I'd give you the chance to personally bitch-slap there kidnappers and save Nepgear yourself. Kill two horsebirds with one stone." Purple Heart stood there for a moment, genuinely surprised at Ryous offer, then put both her hands to her chest and close her eyes with a grateful smile.

"Thank you Ryou. You have my gratitude." She then opened her eyes and looked to him for a moment, and then her faced turned into a playful smirk.

"Hey, what's with that face."

"Nothing. It's just that I realized that you aren't as stand-offish as I thought you were. You comforted both me and Noire when we were at our lowest without much thought. And if I didn't knew any better, than I think that you're actually worried about Nepgear and Uni too."

"N-No I'm not! It's just weird to see you two act like that. That and I need to pay back that bitch Ryuko for one-upping me." Ryou went onto the defensive almost immediately, though it didn't do much since Purple Heart could clearly see he was blushing.

"So you do care about them then."

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do."

"Nu-Uh."

"Yea-huh."

"Nu-uh."

"Yea-huh."

"Nu-Uh!"

"Well, you could've left the two of us to wallow in our self-pity and left them to die."

"Come on, what's the big deal!? Nobodies that heartless!" Ryou snapped, only for him to shut his mouth tight with both hands.

 **(BGM END)**

"*giggles* You are so easy."

"S-Shut up. Anyways *yawn* it's getting really friggin' late, so We should head ba-" Ryou said as he turned around to walk back to Planeptune...

"HEY! WHAT THE!" Only for a pair of slender arms to wrap around his shoulders and lift him up from the ground. Looking up, he sees that Purple Heart is now carrying him up into the sky.

"Hey, what's the big idea! Put me down!"

"Are you sure that would be wise?" changing his gaze away from her and back down for a moment, Ryou quickly figured out that it might not be a good idea at all, considering that within seconds they are several meters above ground, far above the trees. If she let go now, he would have more than just exhaustion to worry about, for not even his rapid regeneration could fix injuries from a huge fall.

"*sigh* Geez, why the hell are you doing this?"

"I imagine that you would be incredibly exhausted after today, so I thought I would assist you and fly you back in exchange."

"Huh, when you put like that it does make sense. That and I will admit that I'm pretty beat ri- Wait a minute. What's the catch?"

("Hmph, he's sharper than he looks.") "Quick to the point I see. Well..."

* * *

"How the hell did I not see this coming?"

"Well, you got to carry Noire back to her Basilicom, so as the main heroine, it's only natural you carry me around as well."

"Whatever." ("At least I'm not carrying her like a damn bride. God knows I got a lot of hate from the few onlookers back at Lastation.") Ryou thought to himself as he made his way back to Planeptunes Basilicom. True to her word, Purple Heart flew them both back to Planeptune without incident. they landed near the entrance to the city itself and now Ryou is keeping his end of the deal...carrying Purple Heart the rest of the way on his back.

And just as he described earlier, he was starting to garner the wrong kind of attention from the few passerby's walking past in the dead of night. Thankfully there were fewer than when he escorted Noire back to Lastation since then, he was carrying her bridal style, much to both of there embarrassment. Even so, for whatever reason, it didn't really bothered him as much as it should. In fact, dare say he actually enjoyed carrying them around.

("No, no! lets not go there again!") Ryou thought to himself while shaking his head wildly, with Purple Heart catching on quickly.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

"N-Nothing." He quickly assured her. As they continued on, he couldn't help but notice the feeling he had with her and Noire coming back again. As if some force is attracting to either of them like a magnet.

("Maybe the artificial sharicite has something to do with it. Fake or not, it's still sharicite. Maybe it's...nah.")

"Hehehe..."

"Huh? What's up with you?"

"You know Ryou, you're back is pretty wide. I can almost fall asleep like this." Purple Heart softly told, all the while pressing her chest more into Ryous back.

"W-Well yeah. I do a lot of training and squats everyday, so no surprise there. A true hero has to always stay fit after all." Ryou replied, blushing up a storm himself, but also noting that her breasts are actually bigger than he thought. An E-Cup perhaps?

"That so?"

"Yeah. I mean you can't just laze around everyday and expect to stomp everything down when you finally get your ass up. Yamato always told me I need to be at my A-Game if I want to be a hero...well, more like bashed it into my skull, but you get the idea."

"*Giggles* Funny. Histoire always told me that I need to work and act like a proper goddess almost everyday. She always lectures me on how to do so, even smacked me in the head with her book sometimes."

"Pfft. I can actually see, and feel that. Hehehe."

"It isn't funny for me I'll have you know."

"Well you do look like you have a hard head, so I don't think it would effect you that much." Ryou received a light slap to his right arm for that comment.

"Touche. But even so. while no one may notice, but I do actually listen to her. That and I can get the job done well if I wanted to. it's just that I don't see the point when I have, well, had two important people who are more than willing to do it in my stead."

"...So, in other words, you more than capable of doing things, but choose note to?"

"I think most that are genre savvy call people like me 'Brilliant, but Lazy.' "

"...Huh. Guess that makes sense." ("Guess she's not as stupid as I thought.")

They continued on for a while, exchanging some banter and the occasional flirting from Purple Heart(much to Ryous chargin). By the time Ryou finally got back to the Basilicom, he nudged Purple Heart to get off, but noticed that, ironically, she fell asleep sometime on the way there. Sighing to himself, he went in and made his way through to try and find her room. Eventually, he stumbled across a huge two person bedroom, practically screaming Neptune all over the place.

He gently got Purple Heart off his back and placed her in the nearest bed and pulled the blanket over her, making sure she was at least comfortable before heading out of the room himself and making his way to the guest room where he will be staying for the time being. Ryou simply flopped onto his bed without pulling the covers and closed his eyes, reflecting on everything that has happened today, and needless to say it is a lot.

First off, he and Yamato went to Planeptune on a mission requested by none other than the Planeptunes Oracle. He bumped into not one, but two CPU candidates, one that was a goody-two shoes with almost zero confidence and a whiny, trigger happy tsundere and ended up getting a huge bill that he had to take an incredibly hard quest to pay off, only for said Candidates to intervene, injuring him and themselves in the process. And then Black Heart of all people showed up, completely misunderstanding the situation and fought. After that scuffle, he paid off the bill and finally got to the basilicom, only to get head-butted by Purple idiot he just escorted. He woke back up and figured out that there mission was also a test to see if he could achieve his dream of becoming an A-Class LOGIN agent, only for the two same candidates to get kidnapped and having his ass handed to him by someone stronger than him. The the next time he woke, Neptune was apparently doing goddess knows what to him in his sleep, kicked her off, found our via Histoire that Yamato went back to base and told him to stay put, infuriating him to no end. Next he came across Noire once again, tired, filthy and distressed and ended up escorting her back to Lastation, and then ended up escorting, and being escorted back to Planeptune by Purple Heart.

And then here he is. Laying in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room, have no clue where the hell the candidates are, there older siblings distressed over there current well beings, and Yamato is doing who knows back at LOGIN base.

("I just hope he having better luck than me, cause right now, I have no fucking clue what to do.") He thought to himself as he slowly drifted off into sleep. Before he did, he muttered out one last thought.

"Still though...today was plenty freaky...but not too bad."


	7. Secrets & Decisions

Author- Here's chapter 7 a bit early, the main focus for this one is primarily setting up how the story of Megadimension Neptunia is going to come into play while still maintaining the Crisis Core feel we originally started out on. There are a bunch of easter eggs and set ups you can find from both, a lot of references too, can you spot them all? xD Also the poll result is up and by a thin margin one girl had the edge, be sure to take a look at it if you feel the need to see who the main love interest will be, the next chapter should wrap everything up and we should be proceeding towards the Megadimension story in Ch.9 or so. Till the next one MM DxD Outties

PS: If you want a really ecchi filler story come check out my recontinuation of NENENEP over on the M section, fair warning though it isn't a lemon filled story, just very perverted xD

* * *

"That's all there is to report sir." Yamato said, kneeling in front of a large desk in a well-furnished room. Behind the desk was a tall, very well built man with grayish brown hair with mutton chops, tanned skin, the same blue eyes as a LOGIN agent and even wears what seems to be a mix between a business suit and a LOGIN agents usual uniform, only difference is is that it was colored mainly black and bright red. This man was none other than the head of LOGIN itself: Hideyoshi Kusanagi.

"Hmm. A monster that was infused with Manufactured Sharicite? Now that is a little surprising." Hideyoshi spoke to his subordinate, wearing a mostly neutral expression.

"So Yamato, how did you think this came to be? As far as I recall, I gave strict orders that any and all form or information on Manufactured Sharicite is suppose to stay within the compound, never to be made public. How did this happen?"

"I honestly don't know sir. As far as I can tell, only LOGIN agents are infused with that power. Do you think maybe this could be another one of Kujos experiments?"

"That might be a possibility. *sigh* I swear, Kujo may have a brilliant mind, being the scientist that created Manufactured Sharicite, but sometimes I think he is more trouble than he's really worth. The fact that he even keeps those experiments around unsettles me. I'll have a word with him in private later."

"Yes, sir...Oh and also..."

"Yes? What is it? Speak quickly."

"I don't have much to go on right now, but today, the Candidates of both Planeptune and Lastation have been kidnapped by an unknown force."

"What!? Are you sure of this?" As Hideyoshis expression changed from neutral to surprised, Yamato noted that he didn't sound as surprised as he should be.

"Affirmative. Just as Ryou and I rendezvoused in Planeptunes Basilicom, there was a sound of an explosion coming from within. When we reached to the source, the room where they were last seen in had a sizable hole leading to the outside. Ryou, Purple Heart and Black Heart all gave chase while I investigated the scene. I didn't find anything concrete, so whoever this was, they were no slouch." He told Hideyoshi, purposely avoiding the 'Dive'.

"They?"

"From the size of the hole and the fact that both Candidates went missing, I can only assume that more than one person was involved in this. I posted Ryou in Planeptune just in case they decided to come back for the elder CPUs."

"I see. The situation has taken a turn for the worse. I'll be sure to send out men to investigate around Gameindustri to look for them. In the meantime, the only thing we can do is wait. Now, you are dismissed Yamato."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir." With there conversation effectively ended, Yamato stood back up and made his exit from the office. As soon as he was out of the room and out of earshot, he gave a spit-take to his left.

("Tch. Lying devil. He probably already knew about this before I showed up.") Yamato simply thought to himself as he walked down the hall.

As soon as Ryou left the Basilicom to chase the Candidates kidnappers, Yamato told Neptune and Noire to transform and follow him. He made a thorough investigation within the room, and while he did not lie that the kidnappers were thorough, he failed to mention two critical pieces of evidence he found: one of the kidnappers made the amateur mistake of cutting themselves on the way out, leaving a clear blood sample behind. Not just that, but also there was a fragment of what looked like ballistics near the hole, possibly used in breaking into the Basilicom. After looking at it for a bit, he spotted what looked like a fragmented, but very familiar symbol. It was in the shape of a 'G', but it had a sort of spectral design to it. There is only one group of people with this kind of symbols.

("The Ghosts. What do they want with them?") He thought to himself.

If LOGIN agents in general are considered Black Ops compared to the regular Guild, then these few individuals, these 'Ghosts', are top secret agents. They act similarly to an intelligence agency or investigative bureau, engaging in reconnaissance and espionage, including kidnappings, assassinations and infiltration's, all in the behalf of LOGIN. Unlike the C though A-Class members of LOGIN, They are consummate professionals, adhering to the mission no matter what. Should they ever be seen, they would dispose of any evidence and leave no witnesses, and should one ever get captured, they were to take there own life so no information could be shared. Due to the nature of their job, members are privy to numerous of LOGINs secrets(the only others being A-Class Agents), and as such, become security risks should they resign.

To top it all off, their orders are received from none other than the head of LOGIN himself.

Yamato was suspicious of his own colleagues for a while now, there activities being a little more secretive than usual, and somehow the development of Manufactured Sharicite has increased greatly. Now, after what has transpired, this piece of news to him pretty much sealed it. Hideyoshi is planning something, and considering that the 'Ghosts' kidnapped the Candidates, he can tell that it isn't anything good.

("But the real question is what? What exactly is he planning...")

"You seem rather on edge today Yamato? That is very unlike you." Yamato stopped in place as soon as he heard the calm, yet chilling voice nearby. Looking to his left, he sighed quietly to himself as it is a figure he recognizes...but one he dare not crosses should he value his life.

"A lot has happened today, so yeah I'm kind of stressed out right now. Still, you don't look to good either. In fact, you look grumpier than usual, Mitsuo." Yamato addressed the man leaning stoically on the wall to his right.

The man in question was around Yamatos age, but very slender and skinny in contrast to Yamatos lean-build, wearing a calm yet very grumpy stare with eerily pale skin, smooth, clean-cut silver hair and the same blue eyes as his own. His uniform is vastly different from a typical LOGIN agent, with the only sign of him being one, was the white and purple vest he wore. The rest of his uniform can be best described as modern samurai armor, complete with a full-body chest-plate that's colored a slightly rusted silver, shin-guards, gauntlets and chain-mail that are all varying degrees of black with purple outlines, with the gauntlets and shin-guards sporting razor edges. and to his side was a stylized nodachi with not one, but two guards adorning the hilt.

This man is a fellow A-Class agent, Yamatos college, and Hideyoshis right-hand man: Mitsuo Akumu.

"Lord Hideyoshi sent me to the science department earlier to investigate a rumor from this morning. What I found out was...very infuriating. *sigh* As if my mood couldn't worsen enough already." Mitsuo retorted as he got off the wall and stood toward Yamato.

"Let me guess: does it involve a monster escaping from the lab and inhabiting a nearby cave?"

"How did you know that?" Mitsuo said with a low growl, both surprised yet angered that his ally may already know the up and up.

"Turns out, earlier today I found and exterminated said monster. I just got back from Hideyoshi-"

"Lord Hideyoshi!"

"Sorry, Lord Hideyoshis office and reported to him on what happened. Any details I'm missing?"

"If you must know, the monster didn't escape as you think. Dr. Kujo apparently sent it out for a field test, seeing how it would affair against real monsters."

"*sigh* Good grief. Genius or not, Kujo really knows how to mess up someones day, unintentional or not."

"My thoughts exactly. That man is more trouble than he's worth."

("Funny, Hideyoshi said the same thing...guard dog.") Yamato thought to himself. As long as he had known Mitsuo, he was fiercely loyal to Hideyoshi, to the point where he would revere Hideyoshi as if he were a CPU himself. That and much like a dog, he follows his every command. Jump off a cliff? He say how high. Complete a dangerous mission solo. He'd come back without a scratch. Scope out and execute a traitor? Cut him into ribbons and throw the pieces into an incinerator.

"Now, if that is all, I need to report to Lord Hideyoshi at once. I've wasted enough of my time here." Mitsuo said as he walked toward Yamatos direction.

"By all means go ahead. I was just about to turn in anyways." Yamato replied, walking past whilst scratching his scalp. Just as they walk past eachother...

"Before I forget, where is that protege of yours Yamato?" Mitsuo asked, causing Yamato to stop in place.

"...I posted him within Planeptunes Basilicom until further notice."

"And why would you do that?"

"The candidates were kidnapped earlier today, so I placed him there in case there kidnappers decide to come back for there sisters."

"Hmmm. Is that so?"

"Yes it is. Speaking of which, what about you're own. I noticed that he wasn't here when I came back."

"Yoshiro? That lecher is probably wandering about in Leanbox's Red Ring District at this hour."

"Sounds pretty scathing, considering he's 'your' protege."

"The only reason he is here is because his loyalty and skills could prove useful to out lord. The fact of him being a possible candidate to wield the holy blade is proof of that. Regardless, He is a cur that puts on the mask of a gentlemen just to sleep with any desperate woman he can get his hands on. He means nothing to me."

"Brutally honest as ever, I see?"

"Better to get straight to the point then to dodge the subject. Leaves no room for dishonesty or treachery." Yamato folds his arms to Mitsuos comment.

"I don't mean to be a dick, but are you implying something?"

...He didn't hear the blade being drawn from its sheath, nor did he hear Mitsuo make a sound, but already he can feel the cold steel on his neck, ready to chop off his head in the blink of an eye. It is clear from the get go that Yamato touched a nerve. Betrayal is one of two of Mitsuos berserk buttons, and he stepped on that landmine without a care.

("Touchy as ever.") "*sigh* Let me guess: you found another one this month?"

"...Kanbe Kuromaru. He was plotting to overthrow Lord Hideyoshi for a while now. I executed him a little before you and Ayumu left for Planeptune."

"Old man Kanbe? Well now that you mention it, he was acting pretty evasive recently...that and it explains the left hand I found in the garbage when I got back."

"Yamato...are you aware of what's to come soon?" Mitsuo asks plainly, but Yamato knows exactly what he's refering to.

"The CPU Shift Period."

"Exactly. The period in which we humans scatter about and try to find a different CPU to worship...it's disgusting." Mitsuo commented with a growl, and with just the right amount of venom. All that as he is still keeping his blade on Yamatos neck.

"It shows that those who worship those whores are only there for there own benefit. They turn there backs on them as if they were yesterdays filth...not that they don't deserve it. For all the lives they took in that petty war of theirs, this is meerly karma catching up to them."

Mitsuo was a war orphan and had grown up with nothing but his survival instinct. Any and all misfortune in his life that has happened, he blamed the CPUs for, firmly believing that none of them, especially Purple Heart, are fit to rule.

"Getting back on the subject..." Yamato added in, catching Mitsuos attention.

"What you're saying is that the same applies for us. Traitors have been popping up recently to try and take control of LOGIN for themselves. For what reason, I don't know."

"Anyone that dares defy Lord Hideyoshi's will shall meet a painful end. That said, and I've asked you this before...Yamato Kisaragi, will you ever defy our lord if it so convience you?" Mitsuo asks, knowing that should he say yes, Yamato would die on the spot. In that case...

"No. Never." Yamato meerly tells him what he wants to here. He doesn't move or flinch at all, waiting for Mitsuo to make a move.

"...Very well. that's all I need to hear." Mitsuo calmly pulls his nodachi away from his throat and sheaths it quickly.

"I shall take my leave." That's all Mitsuo said as he turned around and left. Yamato just stood there in complete silence.

"..."

("Hehehe...Another transparent answer. Funny you call Yoshiro a lech in gentlemens clothing Mitsuo...because you'd been fooled by probably the most transparent person in all of Gameindustri.") He said as he chuckled darkly to himself, as he looked out to a nearby window, looking at his image. He can almost see himself reflected in his own eyes.

around 14 years ago, when Yamato was about 9 years of age, Gameindustri was within the last stages of the Console War, and Yamato was orphaned when his parents were killed in the crossfire between the nations men. Since then, he had only been looking out for himself. It was brutal at first, for it was difficult for a normal child to kill a dogoo, much less live on his own. Over time, it not only became second nature, but it also became somewhat of a routine for him. Take some quests from the Guild to pay bills, get stronger by killing monsters, eat and sleep. While not in a particular order, for a while, that was his life.

Though that is not to say that's all he did, else he would be an even bigger battle-maniac than his pupil. When he could actually afford it, he did buy a few consoles and games for himself and played then in his down-time. He also purchased a wide-selection of books as well, to put it in his younger words "so I don't grow up to be as brain-dead as Lady Purple Heart"...Yeah, as one could guess, he was a bit of a smartass, even as a child. Regardless, doing all of this at such a young age has its benefits. not only was he both smart and strong, but nearly everyone around him saw him as a responsible person.

...Or at least, that's what he leads them on to be.

In reality though, since he was doing this for so long, it all became boring and tedious, and as a result, that's how he grew up to be. Some would call him a loner who has no life. Others would say that he is a static NPC with no personality. He even admits that those statements are both true, because that's what he truly is: Boring, Bland...Transparent.

It only seems otherwise because overtime, he has managed to put on airs and masks for himself in order to properly interact with other people while trying not to lead onto who he truly is. Whether it be the responsible adult most people make him out to be, the wise yet witty smartass of a mentor Ryou knows him to be...or even the loyal and honorable soldier everyone at LOGIN sees him as. Only two people in all of Gameindustri knows of his true self:

One being the former Captain of the Dragoons within Lady Green Hearts forces, and now the current Head of a local Guild in Planeptune, Shunsuke Idachi Date, or SID for short. The other one is none other than the Tome of Gameindustri and Planeptunes very Oracle...as well as the love of his life.

...but that's another story for later.

To his very core, Yamato Kisaragi, is for all intents and purposes, a bland, shallow man who has no clear goals or thoughts of the future in his life. Rather, he just repeats the same old routine everyday, hoping not to stand out too much...That was until LOGIN saw whatever potential he may have.

He doesn't consider himself to be that great, but two things he was good at doing was being a smartass, and fighting monsters. In fact, for a while he used to be a top agent in the Guild, but once the members of LOGIN, Hideyoshi especially, noticed his skills, he was recruited on the spot.

At one point, he did enjoy the thought of being an agent to an elite group of people. But overtime, it just boiled down to the same, tedious stuff that he was accommodated to, just with more pay and a new fancy title added to it, even more so when he received the title of A-class. But even still, he was at least grateful to Hideyoshi for offering up a change.

Thinking back then, when he first met Ryou, he had to say he was pretty astonished with what he saw. He may have been a little kid with a big ego and his head in the clouds, but when he saw him take on that monster, Yamato saw a glimmer in his eyes. Ryou looked very much alive, a lot more than Yamato was at the time. Not only that, but they were also clear, as if hidden underneath all his bravado, he was longing for something, or someone. His eyes say that he will persevere where others might give up.

("I sometimes wonder, if there is anything I can look at, with eyes as pure as those back then?") Yamato thought, as his expression changes to that of a poker face. No emotion at all.

He would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn't at least jealous of his pupil. While his motive for becoming a hero may be a bit misguided, at least he has a purpose in mind. A goal to chase after. He sometimes wonders if he will have anything like that.

("...Well, maybe I do.") He thinks as he pulls out a small pocket watch complete with chain, from underneath his shirt. He opened it up, with the clock showing to have stopped, presumably ages ago, and revealing on the other side, a simple photo.

One of him and Histoire sitting on his lap, smiling together. Looking closer, he noticed that he looked even more alive in that photo than he has in his entire life so far. He wasn't wearing a mask at all, for he looked genuinely happy.

He couldn't help but break out a small and soft smile to this...

("But now here in lies a dilemma.") Only for it to swiftly disappear as he closed the pocket watch and stuffed it back into his shirt as his mind shifted back to the important topic.

...And that is whatever LOGIN plans to do now.

All evidence he has seen and compile recently has pointed to either two conclusions: one would be that LOGIN is merely preparing for the CPU Shift Period in case of a major threat that may come. the other conclusion...Well, lets just say he won't be gracing it with a description.

To him, so far this may be only a theory, but with Hideyoshis under reaction to the Candidates kidnapping and Mitsuo being more on edge than usual, he can't help but suspect them. Figuring out the Ghosts were behind there kidnapping doesn't help. While he is here, he will have to investigate further in order to truly figure out what's going on...but then that leaves once question.

"What will I do when the time comes? Who would I side with?"

Transparent he may be, Yamato still has a good sense of morality with him, and its telling him right now that what they are planning isn't anything good. But at the same time, he can't say he doesn't know where they're coming from. Not everyone was pleased with how the Console War had ended per se. the common thought was: [Seriously!? After thousands of years at war with one another, they just somehow become friends, signed a treaty and pretend it never happened!? What a load of bullshit!], among other things. A lot of people were displeased at how sudden it was, and there were even a few that insisted on continuing the war, but they were silence quickly enough, not by the goddesses, but by those that were just glad that it was over at long last, and peace was achieved.

On the one hand, Yamato recognizes that the CPUs are here for a reason, and that if they were to be overthrown, the results may be catastrophic. Not to mention he would be betraying Histoire by siding with LOGIN.

On the other hand, revolutionizing Gameindustri would probably be for the best, since not only did things get a little stagnant since the treaty, but lets face it...who wants someone like Neptune leading there Nation? that and in contrast, he would be dealing with Hideyoshis guard dog (Mitsuo) who would utterly slaughter him for his betrayal.

It essentially boils down to either keeping to the old ways or fighting to make a new age. However in both hands, they both gave Yamato a chance and purpose to break out of his boring, tedious life, and he shall be always grateful for that. Which makes the ultimate decision all the more aggravating. Being a transparent guy can also make someone a tad bit indecisive. Something that has gotten on his nerves for the longest time.

("Grrr, Damn it Yamato. You're a 23 years old NPC, have lived on your own for the longest time, serve in an elite task force, and you've been going out with a 3-foot tall fairy for 3 years, GET YOU'RE SHIT TOGETHER!") He yelled internally, but quickly composed himself and shook his head.

"Speaking of, I wonder if Hist is OK right now? I seriously hope that Ryou helps her around, cause with Nepgear gone, its going to be very stressful for her, and that pudding lover is already stressing her out enough as it is." Yamato talked to himself, slightly dreading at the possible havoc that may ensue should Neptune really get on his nerves. Not only is she not his type, but true to his speedster nature, Ryou has a small patience threshold, so true goddess knows what will come of it.

("Well, its out of my hands for now. Right now I need to uncover whatever I can from the database and possibly find out where they are keeping the Candidates. If worse comes to pass, I'm probably gonna find them in the lab somewhere and break them out... that is, if I don't decide to stay with LOGIN. Betting Hist would be disappointed if I do, heh.") He mused as he walked down the hall in the dead of night.

"...Either way, things are going to get rough from now on. Just hope they're prepared for what's gonna happen."

* * *

Far back down the hall, Mitsuo walked straight for Hideyoshis office as he thought back on Yamatos words.

("He did not show any hesitation when he answered my question. He didn't even flinch when I had my blade at his throat.") "He's a bold one, that is for certain." He said to himself as he opened the door to his lords office and stepped inside.

"Who is it?" the leader of LOGIN asked as he had his back toward his loyal subordinate.

"I have returned, my lord." Mitsuo answered as he knelt down in front of Hideyoshi.

"Aw. Mitsuo. Just the man I wanted to see." Hideyoshi said as he turned around and got up from his chair. Looking at him once again, he's not only very well-built, but he looks to be at least 7-feet tall.

"Now, what news do you bring?" He asked as he stepped in front of him, holding his hands behind his back.

"I've returned to report that the rumors were true. Dr. Kujo had released one of his experiments out to the wild for field testing. Yamato has already informed you, has he not?"

"Indeed he did. I'm relieved to hear that he handled it before it became a dilemma."

"Yes my lord."

"Anything else to report?"

"Yes. According to statistics, the required levels of Manufactured Shares are almost at maximum. With luck,we will be ready to make our move in time for the Shift Period. Also, Ryuko of the Ghosts reported saying that their mission was a success, for they not only captured one, but two CPU candidates at once."

"I'm well aware of that, Mitsuo."

"What!?"

"Yamato reported there capture as well, and that Ryou gave chase to try and save them."

"Tch! Why that arrogant little-!"

"Sheath your rage Akumu!"

"Gh!" Mitsuo promptly calmed down the instant his lord addressed him by his last name.

"Neither of them know it was the Ghosts who captured them. It is a shame that one of my best soldiers and an up-coming A-Class had to be involved in this." Hideyoshi sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What must we do, my lord?"

"Leave Yamato be for the moment, but if Ryou proves to be a liability, The Ghosts are to dispose of him immediately. Once the Candidates are here, we will proceed from there."

"And what of the harlot we are keeping in the lab?"

"Rei? Once Kujo extracts the last of the Share Energy from her body, she will be disposed off properly. That wench has lived for far too long."

"Indeed my lord."

Hideyoshi turned around and walked to the back of his office as Mitsuo looked to him. Hideyoshi peered outside of his office window and gazed upon the Capital they based there Headquarters in.

...What is left of the Land formerly known as Tari.

After Cyan Hearts attempt at genocide failed, LOGIN repaired what was damaged and made it there new base of operations, right underneath Planeptune. In fact, by repairing and researching its ancient technology, primarily the machine that somehow produced Share Energy for Cyan Heart, was a vital part in creating the Manufactured Sharicite.

"To think it has only been less than a year now, and we've made this much progress my lord. The winds of change are upon us, and with it, humanities destiny." Mitsuo said as he held his hand to his face and grasped it.

"Indeed Mitsuo. Like a typhoon, we shall blow away all that stands in our path, reducing the Basilicoms and there CPUs to rubble, and within the remains of the old world, we shall rebuild and come together in unity. No more petty competitions between nations, no more Console Wars. We shall unit humanity together away from the people we called 'Goddesses' and create a Utopia of our own making, for that is what we, 'The Loyalists Of Gameindustris Independence and Neutrality' stand for!" Hideyoshi declared as he turned back to Mitsuo, slowly walking towards his most loyal subordidnate.

"To be rid of the stigma that has been plaguing human kind, the CPUs, and come together as one at last..." Hideyoshi stops in front of Mitsuo, like a colossus standing over a Fenrir."...Even if we do so with force."

"You're ambitions will come to frution, my lord. We are all one step closer to fulfilling your dream of unification."

"Indeed."

"...And I can not wait to confront them: The Goddesses. I can not await the day their sins catch up to them, as I slaughter those foul women. Their lives fading from there eyes as their throats collapse within my hand...slowly." Mitsuo uttered in a hushed tone, his voiced laced with ice colder than Lowees snow, and venom that could kill anything. He then looked up to Hideyoshi, as if he were praying to a CPU.

"Lord Hideyoshi, I ask you humbly, forgive me for what I must do in order to act out your will." He pleaded as he held his head back down. With a satisfied smile, Hideyoshi bend down and placed his hand on Mitsuos head, causing the young man to open in eyes. If one were to look closely, it would seem that Mitsuo is blushing, if only slightly.

"You are forgiven Mitsuo. Out of all my subordinates, I know that you are the most faithful. Which is why out of everyone, you and Kujo are the only ones who know of my ambitions." Hideyoshi let his hand off of Mitsuos head for a moment just as he himself lifted his gaze towards his lord.

"Now that the time is near though, everyone else shall be informed of our true goals. I expect that a good number will join our cause, but should a few leave, that is there decision to make. I will not fault them...but they will be aware of the consequences when they do." He said with a smirk, knowing full well that Mitsuo will hunt down and slaughter any that betray his lord.

"The meer thought of any one of our men betraying you is unimaginable. How anyone on this earth could even think of betrayal is beyond my comprehension. Where is there loyalty?" Mitsuo questions no one in particular.

"Which is exactly why now is the time that they all shall prove where their loyalty lies. That said, I already know your answer, but just in case..." Hideyoshi trails off as he gazes at Mitsuo intently.

"Mitsuo Akumu: will you stand by my side, no matter the cost? Will you remain faithful to me to the bitter end?" Mitsuo didn't even hesitate to answer.

"Lord Hideyoshi...it is in your name I shall fight, until the day I die." Mitsuo answered with absolute certainty.

"Hmph. Very good. Loyalty like that is very rare these days. Now, you are dismissed."

"Yes my lord." Mitsuo bowed one last time as he got up and made his way out of the office. Taking a deep breathe, Hideyoshi turned back to his office window, gazing upon the horizon.

"The winds of change are upon us. I wonder how they will withstand the storm that is to come...and I do wonder how much longer you'll keep on that mask of yours, Yamato? And as for the CPUs you support, if only somewhat..." Hideyoshi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing.

"If you are all truly Goddesses, then you should do what is expected of you when the time comes, and perform miracles for the sake of 'your' people. If you can not or will not...Then there should be no reason for you all to exist." Hideyoshi then turns back to his desk and looks at a simple framed picture near the edge of it. It showed a man in his early 20s alongside what seems to be other founding members of LOGIN, including Hideyoshi himself.

"It is as you once said. Right old friend?" He says as he directed his gaze under the small lettering under the man picture. It reads:

 **[Byakuya Ryugami: LOGIN S-Class/ Current Status: MIA]**

* * *

Somewhere within LOGIN headquarters was a lab. It looks like anything from a generic evil scientist fiction movie, but the walls and floor are a piano black with cyan outlines lighting the room. Men and women in lab coats litter the room, checking charts with statistics, typing in computers and maintaining the machinery within the room. In the epicenter of the room was what seemed to be a large capsule, big enough to house at least 8 or 10 people alone. There were tubes connected along its sides, leading up to the ceiling where smaller pods are kept.

Entering the room from the left side was a man in his mid-20's, sporting short, light brown hair on the top of his head, with short, dark brown hair on its back and sides. He has blue eyes and wears rectangular glasses. His attire consists of a white shirt, light blue vest, and a white lab-coat with blue underlining. He also wears dark blue pants and white shoes. This man is the doctor that created the Manufactured Sharicite and helped made LOGIN what it was today: Doctor Hazama Kujo. One of the scientists within the room noticed him immediately and walked up to him.

"Oh, Dr. Kujo! You've arrived. We were just about to begin extracting more share energy from Cyan Heart."

"Are all the systems checked?" Kujo asked

"All systems are a go Doctor."

"Safety measured secured?"

"Double checked them this morning and an hour ago?"

"Cyan Hearts vitals?"

"Stabilized for the moment. Though I think that's going to change once we start. I still remember the few sessions where things almost went south."

"We've been extracting all the Share Energy from her body for nearly a year. She's sure have gotten used to the treatment by now. Now, how about our field test today? How are the results?"

"Negative. According to reports, A-class agent Yamato Kisaragi found and killed the Altered Grendal earlier today. Must've been out on a quest and mistook it for an Ancient Dragon."

"Tis a shame, but good to know one of our very own agents can even deal with something like that." Kujo said with a satisfied smirk. "Now, what of the Ghosts?"

"Ryuko reported earlier saying there mission was a success, and that they captured two CPU Candidates. Specifically Purple Sister and Black Sister."

"Oh? Now that is surprising. Should they make it here on time, we might hit our deadline sooner than expected. But I'm not holding my breath. Now, begin extraction!"

"Yes sir!" The scientist went on his way to prepare for the 'extraction'.

"Oh and also, for today, put the settings to maximum." Kujo said cooly, but caused everyone in the room to stare in surprise and in slight fear of what might happen.

"D-Doctor, are you sure? Who knows what might happen."

"Have a gumball, it'll calm your nerves. Besides, we're going to have two replacements coming in in a few days, so having the subject burn out on us would be of little consequence. It's like the batteries to a controller: you simply take out the old ones, put the new ones in, and throw the old one in the garbage...where it belongs." Literally everyone in the room cringed at the doctors cold and morbid analogy.

"...As you wish Doctor." The scientist reluctantly agreed. As, the scientists prepare(both for the extraction and for whatever mayhem that may occur.), Kujo walked up to the capsule and put a hand on the glass as he peered inside.

Inside, the capsule was filled to the brim with what appears to be water of some kind that glows a pale green, and the lone occupant is, in fact, none other than the Former CPU of Tari, Cyan Heart, also known as Rei Ryghts, floating in the middle of the capsule, completely naked with an oxygen mask on her face with a tube in it that leads to the top, presumably its the only thing that's keeping her alive.

"Hello Rei. I doubt you can hear me at this point, being that we've extracted nearly every ounce of the enormous share energy you have within you, but nevertheless, I simply feel like talking to you right now." Kujo said to her, but in all honesty he's holding a one-sided conversation since Rei looks almost as if she is comatose, with a few slight twitches indicating otherwise.

"First off, I must give you a huge and very overdue thanks. If it wasn't for you and your rather hypocritical actions, we wouldn't have found Tari, nor could we have comed this far in our research. I'll be honest with you, with the knowledge that a piece of machinery that can effortlessly produce shares seemed like fantasy, but I can only thank you for proving otherwise. Alas, after the CPUs dealt with you, the machine was damaged beyond repair, and there were no blueprints to it lying anywhere. Regardless, that did not deter me in the slightest. If anything, as a scientist, this was a challenge that I welcomed." He spoke to the capsule as if he were talking to an old companion, making the scene look pretty unnerving.

"Back on topic, using what remains of the machine, and furthering our studies on share energy, provided by Taris ancient technology of course, we were able to build the machine you are in now. While it doesn't have a name, not that I would even bother to, it does what most people likely think now: it is how we create the Manufactured Share Energy. In all honesty, who would've thought you could produce enough energy to power a city like Planeptune for many decades by simply taking a page our of the book of alchemy: comprehend the nature of sharicite, deconstruct it and reconstruct it into a similar, but fundamentally different power?...Then again, only a genius like me could pull it off effortlessly."

"Sadly though, we lacked any real sharicite to deal wtih since as described by the Oracles, the process of making one alone was a hard labor. By then it hit me: instead of making Sharicite to produce Manufactured Sharicite, why don't we directly extract shares from a CPU and make it from there. And what better candidate than you: a meek, hypocritical, 4,000 year old virgin girl who gave into her lust for power and destroyed her own nation. Granted, for you, I imagine that the process would've felt like having scolding hot branding irons all over every inch of your body as something forcefully entered your body and dragged something from you on the way out...Ergo, it was a very painful process, but in my eyes it was deemed nessecary. After all..."

Kujo snapped his fingers, causing one of the pods in the ceiling to open up, with a small shiny rock falling out and onto Kujos hands safely. Marveling at it with a satisfied, but highly disturbing smirk, the crystal itself was diamond shaped and unlike real sharicite, this Manufactured Sharicite was much more clear colored and the power-symbol within it is faced upside down. Even as Kujo flipped it around, it remained that way.

"With this, Humanity is one step closer to godhood. And once again, I must thank you for your generous offer. it was rather difficult to bust you out of Lastation prison and hook you up in this against your will, but since when did this series ever consider morality? Then again...when do scientists ever consider morality? Who knows. But there is only one thing that I do know..." He inches closer to the capsule, almost as if he were whispering into her ear.

"...There's nothing I love more than seeing someone so high and mighty being reduced to a miserable mess." He said, as if it was the most natural thing to say.

"Doctor, everything is set! You might want to stand back!" One of the scientists called from the back of the room, causing Kujo to sigh dejectedly as he stuffed the Manufacutred Sharicite in his coat pocket.

"Well, it was nice talking to you Rei. See you another time!" Kujo waved as he walked away from the capsule as the machinery in the room stirred, and the capsule was powering up. As Kujo stood with the other scientists, who are just now looking at him as if he were a loony (he kind of is if you couldn't tell), he spoke to her from a distance.

"Also, do not worry. Your dream of a CPUless world will come true..." He spoke as everyone prepared for whats to come, as the Capsule roared to life. From within the Capsule, Rei awoke to the familiar scenery around her. But before she could process what's about to happen, Kujo put his finger on the button, inches away from pressing it and beginning the extraction.

"...But I bet you weren't expecting to be the first to die." He gave his parting words, accompanied with a slasher smile, as he pressed the button, and suddenly the entire room, as well as the halls outside, were filled with Reis agonizing screeches from inside the capsule.


	8. Nirvana Dive

A/N- Welp it's been a while huh? Were back, here with another reference to Megadimension Neptunia which were going to be starting in about two or three chapters give or take. If you couldn't already tell were incorporating A LOT of Crisis Core/ Final Fantasy 7's lore in with the story, we've got a solid plan for everything already so were good to go. The Megadimension portion is almost here, but until then here's Chapter 8, hope you like it and we'll see you in the next one.

* * *

Fire...

That's all he can see. He can feel the intense heat as the flames raged around him.

Windows broken, the walls cracked and set ablaze, and more importantly...the unsettling amount of bodies scattered around the room. He knows this scene all too well. The images burn into his memory.

He could only stand there as the flames around him rage on. To his left, he could see the mangled remains of what was once a caretaker. To his right, he could see the now burning remains of a Viral Fenrir, likely the perpetrator of this. Looking down, he could see that out of all the bodies scattered, there was one next to his feet, still barely alive.

He tried to move, to help get this poor kid up and to safety, but he couldn't budge and inch, as if he were frozen in place. He could only stand there, as before the last of this child life fades, she whispers out:

"You...pro..mised...you ...woul...d ...be...ou..r...her..o."

Those words were forever burned into his mind as the last of her life was snuffed out. He couldn't breath. He couldn't even move.

"R...o."

Someone called out to him, but he couldn't make out the voice.

"Ry...o."

He could hear the voice getting more sound by the minute. He looked toward the source of the voice.

"Ryou!"

He saw a little girl. She had fair-skin with red-orange eyes and long, sanguine hair worn in pigtails located near the bottom of her head, held by hair that has been knotted. It has a few black clasps and a pink gradient nearing the bottom. She wore a plain, partially opened white dress shirt with an orange tie, a grey pair of boys gym shorts, orange and black socks, black sneakers and a pair of black leg-warmers with buttons on them.

He recognizes her almost immediately. He wanted to walk up to her, asking if she was alright, but he couldn't move even if he wanted t, but was relieved nonetheless. Alas, that relief turned to worry and panic just as quickly, as he sees a malign shadow appear behind her. He didn't have time to move. He didn't even have time to blink. All he could do...was just scream, as loud as he could.

"UZUME!" Ryous eyes popped wide open as he shot up from his bed, panting and sweating profusely as he just came out of his nightmare. He wiped the sweat from his head and steadied his breathing as he tried to calm down.

"...Damn it. It was that dream again." He said to himself as he lied back down and looked up to the ceiling, recognizing that this isn't his room back at LOGIN Headquarters.

("Oh right, I'm staying at Planeptunes Basilicom...what the hell's the time right now?") It was around midnight when Ryou turned in after yesterdays events. He took a look at a nearby clock and it read [Tuesday. 5:02 AM].

"Shit, and I don't feel like going back to sleep. *sigh* Oh well, might as well grab myself something to munch on." He said as he got up from the bed and walked straight out into the hall.

He didn't even bother to change clothes since he went straight to bed, so he was still in his uniform as he tried to make his way to the kitchen area. He was unfamiliar with the Basilicoms layout, so it took him a few minutes until he finally found it.

"OK, now lets see what we have here." He muttered to himself as he opened the fridge...only to be dumbstruck at its contents.

"Pudding, pudding, pudding, pudding, pudding, pudding, pudding, milk, eggs, sugar(?), pudding, pudding, pudding, pudding, and would you look at that, more pudding." He said dryly as he looked to see if there is anything other than pudding in the fridge.

"...Nope. Nada. Man, do these girls eat nothing but pudding everyday?"

"Correction: Only Neptune eats pudding everyday. We keep the rest of our essentials in a separate fridge."

"Aw, that makes sense. Still though, how the hell can she eat this stuff all day without turning into a freaking blimp?"

"Apparently CPUs can burn more calories when they are in there HDD forms, so Neptune transforms very often to lose the excess weight."

" Talk about lazy. At least I do some morning squats to get rid some of the old lbs. I mean seriously, would it kill them to have at least one yogurt cup in h-" Ryou stops his sentence, finally processing that someone else is in here with him. He whipped his head around, only to be face by Histoire, wearing an expression that only says 'I should've seen this coming'.

"Good morning Ayumu. I take it you have slept well?" Histoire promptly asked, putting aside the matter of Neptunes eating habits.

"Oh. Morning' Histoire. And no, I didn't. Barely got any sleep last night." Ryou answered, not even bothering to hide the exhaustion and frustration from yesterdays events.

"I do not blame you. Yesterday was rather taxing on everyone, considering what happened." Histoire replied, looking downwards for a moment as Nepgears kidnapping is still fresh on her mind.

"Tch, no need to tell me twice. Anyways, what are you doing up?"

"I always wake up early to get a head start on mornings tasks. Something I have grown accustomed too for a long time now."

"Obviously."

"What about you? I assumed you would be sleeping in since you got back so late."

"Meh. I woke up earlier and couldn't go back to sleep for the life of me." He replies while scratching his head.

"I see...how about you take a seat for a moment. I think we both know what needs to be said right now." Histoire insisted. While Ryou raised an eyebrow at her, but quickly caught on to what she meant as he breathed a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Yeah. As much as I hate to admit it, but I definitely need help right now." He said as he made his way to a nearby table, sitting in a chair on one side and Histoire floating to another on her Tome.

"OK, I'm just gonna cut to the chase and say, no I didn't find anything on either of them or those bastards that nabbed them. I looked all over Planeptunes border and even beyond, but I didn't find anything." Ryou quickly explained to her as he simply had his hands to his head and sighed in frustration.

"As much as I REALLY don't want to beg, but please Histoire, is there anything you can do to help me find them?" Ryou pleaded to Histoire much to the Oracles surprise. Not only did he sound the part, but Ryou actually looked a little desperate, a far-cry from his usual cocky, arrogant and stubborn attitude. Histoire straightened herself out and cleared her throat as she addressed to him.

"Normally I would say that we have three options to chose from, but considering the situation now, time is of the essence, so we only have two." Histoire said as she held up two fingers. Ryou wonders 'why three' for a moment, but quickly dismisses it in favor of the task at hand.

"What are they?"

"The first would be that I try to find Nepgear via Planeptunes Share Crystal, but with my current specifications, it'll take three days at most."

"And the second option?" He asked, mentally marking out the first as three days would take too long, and neither of the Candidates have much time.

"You would have to perform a dive into either Noire or Neptune, successfully link up to either of them, and find there location that way."

"Oh right. Yamato said something about that yesterday...although, not gonna lie, I was more focused on becoming A-Class than anything else. Could ya fill me in on the details please?" Ryou admitted, causing Histoire to shake her head in disappointment

("At least he's being polite about it.") Very well, then allow me. *Ahem* The official name for what Yamato described is called a 'Nirvana Dive'. To keep it brief, those that are compatible with a CPU can perform this in order to enter into there 'Inner Dream World', or there 'Goddess Core' if you would prefer. No one has ever done this in a very long time, so even I'm not clear on the details on what goes on, but according to my Tome, you are to interact within the CPUs world and try to connect with the shares within her being, increasing her power and establishing a connection with her."

"Aw, now that makes more sense."

"Which brings up the question: Who would you choose?"

"Hmm?" ("I gotta dive into either of them if I'm going to figure out where those two are. And I don't have much time, so I gotta work fast. Speed is my game after all, hehe.") Ryou thought to himself as he seriously considered (or as serious as he can be) who he chooses. As he proceeded to think it over, one lingering thought came to the forefront of his mind.

"Hey, Histoire?"

"Yes?"

"Hate to get off topic, but there's something that's been buggin' me for a while now."

"Well, what is it?"

"...Do you and Yamato know eachother or something?" Ryou asked bluntly, though for a reason unknown to him, Hsitoire was caught off guard and started to blush.

"W-What do you mean by that?"

"Well I was askin' because when I, y'know, poked ya, He was actin' kinda weird. In fact, for a moment he looked kind of pissed. Not only that, but in his letter, he called you 'Hist' instead of Histoire. So again, what's the deal?" Ryou asked, but didn't even noticed that Histoires looks more than a little flustered now thanks to his little observation. nonetheless, she composed herself as best as she could before answering his question.

"W-Well, if you must know, I frequently request his assistance every now and again whenever possible. Knowing Neptunes usual antics as well as the mountains of paper work she neglects, its getting rather difficult to do everyone by myself, even with Nepgear around, so I usually have him either keep tabs on Neptune or assist me with my usual duties."

"Aaaand its gotten to the point where he gave you a nickname? Are you two that friendly?"

"Y-You can say that, yes."

"...Alright. all I need to know. Thanks."

"You are welcome." ("*sigh* That was too close. I almost got exposed.") Histoire mentally sighed as Ryou went back into his thoughts. They merely sat there in silence as Ryou contemplated which CPU to dive into. Either way he'll know where the Candidates are, but to him, this is very important. Its like one of those TaleTell games where the next decision made by the character can permanently change the course of the story, with all the repercussions included.

For Ryou, it is simply choosing who he will dive into: Either the air-headed, zany maniac that for one reason or another wants to be his girl, or the stubborn, prideful tsundere he himself calls a goddess. Originally he can't stand either of them, but after last night, he sees them both in a new light, and that they desperately want there sisters back.

"..."

"...Alright. I made up my mind." After what seems like an eternity, Ryou spoke up with certainty in his voice.

"You have?"

"Yeah." He said as he went to the fridge, picked out a random pudding, ate it all in one go and proceed to the Basilicoms exit.

"Wait, where are you going?" Histoire said as Ryou stopped in his tracks and turned his head with his signature smirk.

"To Lastation of course! I'm going to be diving into Noire. Between her and Neptune, she's the one that'll probably need it the most. Besides, Lastation is where I was born, so its only natural for a hero to save his home in a time of crisis." He told her as he gave her a thumbs up.

"I see. then allow me to accompany you. You're going to need my assistance in order to perform the Dive properly." Satisfied with his answer, Histoire got off the table and went along with him...

"Yeah, it's dangerous to go alone! Take Nep!" Only for Neptune to suddenly appear behind them as if she came out of nowhere.

"WHOA, WHAT THE HELL!?"

"N-NEPTUNE! (°Д°)"

"Ha! Gotcha guys. And hey look, Histys using an Emoticon. Haven't seen those in a while." Neptune remarked as Ryou looked very irritated at her...only for him to back off at the angry Tome Fairy that looks like she's going to flash-fry her.

"Neptune...How long were you there? (＃ﾟДﾟ)" Histoire asked softly and politely, but Ryou, for as dense as he is, practically knew that she was livid at the purple air-head.

"Just got here when you two were about to mosey on to Lastation. Seriously though, while I can guess Ryou going, but not you Histy. Leaving me alone to do all the work while you go somewhere? That's really unlike you." Neptune replied as casually as ever...

*THWAK*

"Nepu!" Only for Histoire to chop her on the head with her own Tome.

"I will be going out on official business. I'm not like you who prefers to fool around all day instead of performing her duties to her nation." Histoire points out scathingly.

"Guh!"

"Not only that, but I'd say its time you get to it. With me gone, you're the only one present to do any work around here."

"Gah!"

"And as callous as this may sound, you don't have Nepgear to have your back this time, so you are on you're own little lady."

"Guah!" After adding her last statement, Neptune fell down defeated. Ryou just looked on with a single sweatdrop going down his head, clearly annoyed at the whole spectical Neptune is making of herself.

"...You do realize she's probably gonna come along either way, right?" Ryou asked Histoire, knowing full well that the purple idiot will follow wherever he goes, whether anyone likes it or not.

"That and besides, who's gonna back Ryou up when we go to save Uni and Nep jr?"

"...Huh?"

"Huh (0.0?)" The both of them were put off-guard, and understandably confused when Neptune spoke up.

"Well, I don't really know about that whole 'Dive into the Heart' thing, but I think Nowa would be pretty tuckered out when she and Ryou are finished. Not to mention he got his butt whooped the last time he fought them, so all the more reason."

"Tch. Don't remind me." Ryou said, trying his best not to remember how the assailent, Ryuko, utterly defeated him.

"Hmm. Actually, that is a valid point. I'm surprised that you actually thought this over Neptune." Histoire said, clearly surprised, and even a little proud of Neptunes reasoning.

"...And besides, this means I'll get more scenes with him if I go along. no way am I losing to Noire this time. That popularity pole way back when may as well be non canon." And then Neptune just had to shatter her surprise with her usual demeanor.

"I now retract my statement."

"Alright, that aside, you two ready to do this or what? I ain't got all day, and the faster we get this done, the better." Ryou stated out loud, now getting a little impatient with what's going on.

"Yeppers!"

"*sigh* Fine. May as well."

"Alright, then both of you, hop on!" Ryou turned around and pointed to his back.

"Roger doger!"

"Hey wait, what are you- aaaah!" Before she could protest, Neptune grabbed Histoire and her Tome in each arm and jumped onto Ryous back, making sure to sit tight so neither of them fell down form him.

"Alright, lets gun it! Acceleration!"

*BOOM*

"NEPUUUUUU!"

"AAAAAAAAAH! ( °Д°)" Ryou completely dashed out of the Basilicom at break-neck speed, with Neptune and Histoire both holding on for dear life as he sped onwards to Lastation. They are just hoping they can get to the Candidates in time.

* * *

Back at Lastations Basilicom, Noire sat on her chair arms folded with her forehead on the work table. She was trying to process the moment she just had with Ryou last night(or a couple hours ago). It was like one of those moments that she would see in one of her romance, slice of life animes she's been watching in secret lately.

"Ugh, I just don't know. I hated him up till a couple hours ago, but now... *sigh* I can't believe this is happening." she said in a whiny tone, not being able to accept that she may have accidentally started developing feelings for him.

Noire closed her eyes and could faintly remember what she felt when she cried into him. His well-defined chest, the warmth of his body, and even his very scent, it all felt soothing to her. Before she began to realize it, her body began to heat up all over...

"Eeek! Nononononono!" she quickly sprung to her feet and paced around her room. She became flustered as she began to get lewd thoughts, thoughts that no nations CPU should have in her mind.

"What's wrong with me?" she said groaning.

"Hm? Nothing, you seem fine to me."

"H-huh!?" Noire turned her head to see-

"Yo." Ryou said as he gave a casual peace-sign and smile.

"W-What are you doing in my room!?"

"U-um, well..." Ryou bit his lip as he came closer and took a deep breath, seeming to mentally steel himself for what's to come. Soon after, he looked at her, their eyes locking onto one another. "Noire..." he said in a determined mature tone, not his usual cocky, smartass-like one, causing Noire to flinch and turn red.

"Y-yes...?" Noire bit her lip as she began to get both excited and nervous, and something else in between...

"I need you-" he continued in a faint-like tone, still very mature and in control but now more warming and inviting.

"Y-you...need me-" she recited his words as she began to get delusional thoughts of Ryou picking her up off her feet and the two of them uniting into one passionate kiss, Noire's first kiss, and hopefully Ryou's too.

Contrary to what some may believe, Noire is actually quite the romantic. While no one else may know, she had always wanted a love life. Having a boyfriend was a secret she didn't want anyone else finding out about... that and her love of cosplay. If word got out about this, not only would she die of embarrassment, but more than likely her shares will take a dip as a result. The CPU Shift Period approaching didn't exactly help calm her nerves.

"I need you-" Ryou went on but before he could finish his sentence..

"R-Ryou, wait! T-This is going too fast! We've only just met yesterday, I'm not ready for this!"

"Wha?" Ryou looked at her with a dense expression, wondering what was going too fast and what she wasn't ready for.

"I mean, I know we had that moment a while ago, but..." Noire kept going on much to Ryou's displeasure.

"Moment? Wait wha-"

"Shh, let me finish you idiot." Noire placed her index finger on Ryou's lips in an attempt to hush him up. All the while, Ryou just looks even more confused as she went on.

("Damn it, what the hell is she goin' on about now? Ugh I don't have time for this. We need to get this over with now before-")

"Hold it right there!"

"Neptune?!" Noire shouted surprised.

"Neptune! I never, EVER thought I'd be happy to see you." Ryou said as he let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Well buster, it's your fault. I fell behind as you were going like a gazillion miles past the Planeptune speed limit... not to mention you threw Histy plain off and she tumbled."

"Histoire? ...OH SHIT, HISTOIRE!" Ryou ran up to Neptune and began to shake her "WHERE IS SHE?!" he shouted bracing himself for the worst. He already made a promise that she would be safe, so if Histoire was hurt in any shape or form, Yamato would really let him have it. Even worse, Ryou would NEVER be promoted to A-Class.

("Oh man, what am I going to do!? It's like that incident with Kei, only now I'm going to have to answer to Teach!")

"I'm right here...ow." Histoire slowly floated up Noire's window with a hand on her tiny head.

"Call her name, and then she appears." Neptune chirped up.

"Phew, glad your alright Hist." Ryou said as he gave her a thumbs up.

"...We're going to have a talk later." Histoire said in a visibly irritated tone. She then looked to Noire who, at this point, looks pretty irritated and confused at the current chain of events.

"*Ahem* Allow me to explain why we are here..."

-One Explanation later-

"So that's the situation Noire. What say you? Are you willing to cooperate?" Histoire spoke to Noire in her usual professional tone, casually floating on her tome whilst crossing her legs, also very professional.

"Pfft." Ryou gave a light snicker much to both Histoire and Noire's displeasure.

"Just what is so funny Ryou Ayumu?" Histoire called on Ryou in a visibly irritated tone, much like a homeroom teacher would put a classroom joker on the spot.

"Pfft, n-nothing, nothing at all, ehehehe." Ryou said still snickering and letting out his signature cocky, smartass, devilish smile.

"Oh I get it! Histy, my Ryou is snickering because you looking professional with your legs crossed is kinda funny." Neptune began to snicker, as well infuriating Histoire even more and causing Noire to grunt in frustration due to Neptunes immaturity. Her interrupting what she thought was a moment with Ryou didn't help.

"Haha, right? It's not just me... well except for that 'My Ryou' part, looks like we kinda think alike huh?" Ryou said as he held his hand out for a high five with the purple airhead.

"Yepperoni!" Neptune giggled as she high fived her crush "But ya know, you are my Ryou. You belong exclusively to me, the main heroine of this story." she said in a very casual Neptune-like tone, her innocent smile still adorning her face.

"Ha Ha, nope. Never gonna happen... EVER." Ryou said assuring her that the feelings were anything but mutual.

"Your so mean...I guess that's one of the things I find irresistable about you." Neptune said now turning her high five into a quick clasp of his hand.

"Haha, OK you can let go now." Ryou said with a sarcastic laugh in a deadlike tone a sarcastic smile still on his face, but his eyes showed his annoyance of the purple airhead.

"Nope." she said with a smile on her face.

"Grr." Noire began seething in the background.

"OK seriously, let go Neptune! We really don't have time for this crap!" Ryou said, for once not wanting to get sidetracked. As he struggles to break free from Neptune, Noire finally worked up the courage to get involved and stepped toward them.

"For once you're right Ryou. Let go of him Neptune, we need to get to work!" she tugged Ryou by his arm.

"Hands off Nowa!" Neptune yelled quickly wrapping her arms around Ryous other arm.

"I said, Let go Neptune!" Noire said visibly irritated.

"Nuh-uh! loverboys mine! I called nepdibs from the start of this fic."

"You didn't even meet him until chapter four! Besides, this involves BOTH of out sisters here, so we really don't need you screwing anything up!"

"Agh!" before he knew it, Ryou was in the center of a very violent tug of war between two stubborn goddess.

"Could you both let me go before you rip my damn arms off! Hist, help!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I cannot hear you. Maybe that's just some more childish laughter. Yes, I think that's what this is. I think I'll excuse myself for a little while." Histoire coldly said as she made her way out the room.

"Oh come the fuck on!" Ryou said in a defeated tone. Karma is indeed a bitch.

"...What's all this commotion?" Before Histoire could make her way out, someone else made there way in and spoke to them in a low-tone, professional voice. It is a short girl with pale-skin and boyish-cut silver hair and aqua blue eyes. She's wearing a near-formal black business suit with silver and blue linings, matching buttons and shorts, black high socks with white detailing, and slip-on black shoes with small blue and silver details on top.

"Oh, good morning to you Kei." Histoire greeted as sincerely as she could.

"K-KEI!?" Upon hearing her Oracle, Noire let go of her side of Ryou in a panic, with Neptune taking the opportunity to glomp onto him...and then the young man, having quite enough of her bull, promptly punched her off.

"Good morning Histoire, Noire, Neptune..." Kei greeted each of them, but as soon as she turned to Ryou, she adorned a bit of a scowl on her face. Upon seeing her, Ryou went pale to the face, immediately remembering the last time he met with Lastations Oracle...the less one knows, the better.

"Ayumu." Kei greeted coldly.

"H-Hey Ms. Jinguji. How've you been?" Ryou greets back, in an oddly polite, yet obviously nervous tone.

"...Dare I ask why you are all here at this hour...in Noires room no less?" Kei completely ignores Ryous question in favor of asking Histoire of what's going on.

("Well, screw you too then!") Ryou yelled internally.

"Allow me to explain Kei..."

-One more explanation later...seriously, how many more are we going to go through here?-

"So what you're saying is that by performing this "Nirvana Dive", we might be able to track Nepgear and Uni to where they are being held captive?"

"Precisely. Not only that, but should this work, it would more than help Noires, and Lastations current condition, if only somewhat."

"Considering our current workload and lack of shares, anything is appreciated. Although..." Kei shot another glare at Ryou, something that Noire and Neptune caught onto quick.

"Dare I ask, why does it have to be him?"

("Damn, not even pulling any punches.") Ryou thought to himself.

"According to the research Yamato and I have conducted, Ryou seems to be the only one who is compatible with the CPUs at this time, so there really wasn't anyone else." Histoire answered honestly. Kei takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.

"Alright. I suppose this'll do, especially if we're, as you say, running low on time."

"Uuuum, hey Kei?"

"What?"

"Is it just me, or do you have something against Ryou? I mean you've been giving him the stink eye ever since you layed eyes on him, so what's up?" Neptune asked, causing both Kei and Ryou to visibly flinch. The other three occupants looked to the two, now curious of Neptunes question.

"...The less you know the better." Kei answers bluntly. When Neptune turns to Ryou, he simply put his hand to his throat and mouthed 'Don't ask' to her.

"Well, whatev's. I'll just dot that one down as your standard 'Noodle Incident'."

"Ugh, can we just get this over with already?" Noire asked, now getting pretty antsy with how everything is turning out.

"We couldn't agree more." Both Oracles said almost in perfect sync.

"Sooooo, you're OK with Ryou diving into your 'core' now?" Neptune teased.

"D-Don't phrase it like that! Besides, this is just to find our sisters, nothing more or less!"

"Alrighty. Whatever you say, Lonely Heart." Neptune teased again, causing Noire to fume with anger, the present Oracles to facepalm, and Ryou quietly snickering at the name 'Lonely Heart'.

"Alright, enough roughhousing, time to get to business. Histoire, what should Noire and Ayumu do in order to perform a Nirvana Dive?" Kei spoke up to get everyones attention before they get sidetracked any further and needlessly increasing this chapters length.

"The process is rather simple really. Ryou, Noire, please sit down facing eachother in the center of the room." Histoire instructed, as the young man and CPU sat down in the middle of the floor, Noire sitting seiza-style, Ryou sitting cross-legged, facing eachother intently...a bit too much as they both began to blush a bit.

*STAAAAARE* Neptune began starring at the pair, making sure there wasn't any funny business...at least in her head.

"Now, try to perform physical contact..."

"WHA!?" Noire and Neptune yelled out.

"Nothing extreme, just simply hold each-others hands." Noire breathed a sigh of relief as she turned back to Ryou and saw that his hand was reaching to her, looking completely ough hesitantly, she reached out and grasped his hand with her own, albeit timidly.

In the backround, Neptune tried to jump in and intervene, but Kei promptly kneed her in the gut and skillfully pined her to the ground, shooting her a glare that basically says: 'Unless you want your sister to have an untimely end, stay put'.

"Alright, now what Hist?" Ryou asked in a strangely polite manner, with Histoire mentally noting that he's starting to sound like his mentor...

("At least, the image he made for him to look up to.") Histoire thought to herself.

"Now, all you two have to do is focus and try to hold the same thoughts in your minds."

"Wait, so we basically have to think the same thoughts? How does that work?" Noire asked curiously, blushing a little by the warmth of Ryous hand.

"When two wills come together as one, full synchronization can be achieved. By that logic, if you two go at the same wavelength, you should activate the Dive. However, unless your minds and wills truly act as one, it would be impossible. It's not something you can just decide to do..." ("At least not yet, if certain circumstances are met.") She thought to herself.

"That's it?" They both asked.

"Correct. Now just focus on the same thoughts you two. The process will begin shortly after." Histoire told them as she backed away a bit. Ryou and Noire just simply looked at eachother in there eyes for a little while, both not exactly how this might work.

"Sooooo, uh...What do you want to think about Noire?"


	9. A Date With Noire?

Authors Note (Twilightiger1602): Now, I know what you are all thinking: "What the hell? I waited a whole month for a 4k long chapter?" Well, long story short, life has been kicking us both in the ass as of late, so things have been pretty slow for the both of us. With luck, things should be getting better soon, so don't worry about us lagging behind on this.

* * *

"Sooooo, uh...What do you want to think about Noire?"

"W-Why are you asking me?"

"Well it's your 'Core' we're going into, so I'd say you'd be the one who knows best...Tsunderian." Ryou joked with his usual smirk, causing Noire to flinch in annoyance over that nickname. Clearly Neptune is already starting to influence him.

"Immaturity aside, he does make a valid point Noire. Since he is going to be diving into you, you should have the first say." Kei said as she is calmly restraining Neptune from doing anything stupid.

"Oh, alright. Give me a minute to think of something." Noire said, with everyone minus Neptune giving her a nod in agreement. She closed her eyes and tried to think of what they should think about. They may only have one shot at this, so she has to make it count. She clears her minds and concentrates on what they should think about...

...Only for her mind to spiral down to very lewd ideas, evident of the fact that her face was glowing beat red and steam was coming out of her ears.

"Nepu! Noire, you're totally blushing! Just what are ya thi-"

*SMACK*

"Mmmmmmm!" Before Neptune could escalate anything further, Kei took out and oversized bandaged and slapped it onto her mouth to literally keep it shut.

"Thank you Kei." Histoire thanked her as the Lastation Oracle simple gave a nod in response. Histoire sighed internally to herself, just wondering if Neptune has any sense of self control. Knowing that it's Neptune, most likely not.

("What the hell is she thinking about?") Ryou thought to himself, not even remotely aware of what Noire could be thinking right now.

"Hey, Noire. You OK there? What's wrong, are you lagging or something?" He asked, snapping Noire out of her fantasies and causing her to shake her head violently in embarrassment.

"N-N-None of your business!" Noire replied, sounding a bit harsher than she intended to be.

"...Whatever." Ryou replied simply as he rolled his eyes. Noire internally doubled back a bit at his reaction, and soon after closing her eyes again and got back into thinking of a topic. Although, now she's trying her best not to slip back into "Ecchi Territory".

("Come on, Noire! Think of something, anything! If you don't, you are going to lose your sister fore-") Noire stopped mid-sentence as her eyes snapped back open and faced Ryou with great clarity.

"...Uni."

"Huh?"

"Ryou, try and think about Uni. that should work."

"Wha? Why her?"

"*sigh*Look, I know that you two didn't exactly get along back there. In fact, she told me just how much of a jackass you were to her and Nepgear."

"In great detail, I imagine." Kei added in.

"Hey!" Ryou exclaimed, clearly annoyed at their remarks.

"But if we're going to do this, we need to think about her for the time being, and I know for a fact that we both want her and Nepgear safe and sound, especially after how hellbent you were about stopping their kidnappers."

"Mmrmgmmrgh? Mmmrghmrmmmgh. ("Is Nep jr really getting the shaft again here? Geez people, I thought we were past this since Victory.") Neptune muffled out, but clearly no one listened to her, much less heard her to begin with, what with that bandage on her mouth.

"*sigh* Alright. As much as that sounds like a pain, you do have a point Noire. Besides, I'm starting to get a little antsy, so lets do this." Ryou said begrudgingly.

"You didn't have to put like that." Noire retorted. They then closed there eyes and concentrated on that one thought.

For Noire, she was thinking of how Uni may be feeling right now. She was captured by a group of professionals that were apparently skilled enough to capture two CPU Candidate without issue. She must be scared, tired, filthy and goddess knows what else. She may act tough a lot of the time, but Noire knows for a fact that her sister is the type of person who wears her emotions on her sleeves. On the one hand, that could be perceived as a major weakness. On the other, it makes her a bit more outgoing than Noire herself is, even to the point where she admits that unlike her, Uni actually has the capacity to be honest. To that, a lot of people assume that Noire is an Aloof Big Sister and tends to treat her rather harshly sometimes. While she does tend to be strict with Uni, she still love her sister more than anything. Hell, if anything bad were to happen, Noire would most likely cry a river of tears. She doesn't want that. She just wants her younger sister back, safe and sound...that's not to say that she isn't worried about Nepgear too.

As for Ryou, if he were to be honest, right now he doesn't really care much for Uni. For starters, when they first met, she assume he was with those two ass-hats that were trying to man-handle her. If it wasn't for his quick action, she would've probably shot him full of holes. And even then, alongside Nepgear, he found her to be pretty annoying and stubborn, not to mention giving him a stare that tells him that she's better than him, which really got under his skin...even so, while he won't admit it, he doesn't really hate her either. For one, she did held her ground against the Dark Plague rather well before he swooped in to save her and Nepgear. That and while she is stubborn, he also considers it a good point since she doesn't seem to be the type that gives up easily, something that he personally likes. Also, on a more personal note, seeing her get scolded by Noire kind of reminds him of how Yamato used to reprimand him when he was still a C-Class trainee. Maybe if they had met under different circumstances, they would've been good training buddies, if at least friends...Not that he would ever admit. Again, he's kinda bad at this sort of thing...kind of like-

"Nefu! Mghmmrmgh!? ("Nepu! What's happening to them!?") Neptune muffled out as a barrier with an iridescent aura formed around the B-Class Agent and the Lastation Goddess. As they both bathed in the glow, a small bright colored orb came out of Ryou and floated its way to Noire, entering into her being through...*ahem* her boobs.

"Well, from the look of it, the Nirvana Dive was successful after all. Now, what to do?" Kei asked.

"...For now, we wait. See what develops from there. I am hoping this won't take long, but this is the first time I've seen a Dive in person." Histoire replied, causing Kei to turn to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Really? Knowing you, I thought you would've seen something like this at least once, being the Tome that records not just Planeptunes history, but all of Gameindustri as well."

"To be honest, when Yamato and I were researching on how to increase a CPUs shares in case of emergencies, I really was skeptical about this. I've never seen anyone Dive into another like this, much less a human diving into a CPU. So this is completely new territory for me."

"Hmm. I see. I guess that not even you know everything."

"I may be ageless as the rest of the CPUs are, but I am not a god-like entity, so even I have my limits, especially considering my current specifications. Regardless, we'll just need to have faith in those two for now."

"...Mhmghm.("I'm bored.") Neptune muffled as the three occupants continued to watch the pair before them, waiting to see the results. As that went on, Histoire pondered to herself about the nature of the Nirvana Dive

("I said that I've never seen this before, but why do I feel a little nostalgic watching this spectacle. Moreover...") Histoire turned her gaze to Ryou curiously.

("...How come this young man is the only person in Gameindustri period to perform this? Ryou Ayumu, just who are you?")

* * *

[BEGINNING DIVING PROCESS]

[LOADING...LOADING...LOADING...]

[GODDESS CORE RECOGNIZED: BLACK HEART]

[PERSONALITY: CLOSET TSUNDERE]

[MEMO: CPU OF LASTATION]

[SYNCHRONIZATION: 83%]

[CONNECTION: 100%]

[CORE DIVE SUCCESSFUL]

[RYOU AYUMU & CPU BLACK HEART = NOIRE]

[INITIALIZING]

"Ugh..." Ryou finally came out of his daze and sat up on the concrete he was laying in.

"Man, that was a little trippy. Where am I anyways?" Ryou said as he got up to his feet and thoroughly examined his surroundings. Taking everything he sees right now into account...

"I'm definitely in Lastation. Tch, figures I'd be here, considering it's Noire. Wait..." He paused for a moment, the thought of the Dive being successful starting to finally sink in to his head.

"Heheheh...Hahahahaha! Yeah! Yeah! HELL YEAH! I did it! I'm gonna be A-Class for sure after this!" Ryou jumped and cheered on, happy that it all turned out in his favor. He can almost feel the big promotion. His dream of surpassing his mentor and becoming a hero were practically within his reach.

"Still, now that I'm here...what do I do now?" Ryou said as he scratched his head. Guess he was so hyped up to actually pull off the dive that he doesn't really know what to do now.

("...according to my Tome, you are to interact within the CPUs world and try to connect with the shares within her being, increasing her power and establishing a connection with her.") Histoires words suddenly rang within his mind, giving him at least a vague understanding of what to do.

"Establishing a connection with her. How the hell am I suppose to do that?" Ryou pondered to himself. As he turned his gaze into whichever direction he feels like, he suddenly doubles back to himself as he suddenly spots a familiar pair of twintails just down the street from where he is.

"Huh? Is that Noire over there?" He said as he got a better look at the girl in question. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Noire, but what confused him was that she was wearing what seems to be some sort of school uniform, consisting of a white blouse, a Black Blazer with the symbol of Lastation on her left side, matching purple plaid bow and skirt, thigh-high black socks and school shoes. She also seemed to be wearing pink ribbons in her hair.

"Yep, that's definitely her, but what the hell is she wearing?" He asked himself, seeing the proud tsundere wearing something like that seems pretty out of character to him. Curious, he decided to tail her and see just what exactly she's doing right now. Upon getting into close enough range, this is what he heard...

"Oh man, I'm so late! I was up so late proof-reading the script, I overslept! I need to get to the studio right away to do my voice-over session on that new anime!" Noire spoke to herself, clearly in a hurry to do...well, whatever the hell Ryou just heard. As she lightly jogged to her destination, with Ryou not too far behind, she took out her phone and checked it herself.

"Alright, after my voice-over this morning, I'm going to be tracking vocals for my new single, and when that's done, I'll go work on some post-production for the game..." She told herself, mentally checking a list of things to do for today...which again, to Ryou, sounds very much out of character to what he's seen of her so far.

*buzz*buzz*

"This noise...a text?" Noire said to herself as she looked on her phone to see who was texting her right now.

"Oh, it's from Uni! Let's see: [Sis, if you have time, can we go hang out for a while today?] Ah. Well, it has been a while since we did something together. Hmm..." She pondered for a moment, and then texted her back, saying ["Sure thing. Once I'm off, we could hang out at the mall. Maybe we can take a look at that new gun-shop that opened the other day or get some sweets? See you then."] and immediately pressed send. As soon as she sent it, she seemed to get a little down for some reason.

"...And still, no call from him so far. I'm wondering if he and Kisaragi are out on another mission today?" Noire pondered to herself, as the young man who she is likely referring to is now just standing there, dumbstruck at what he is seeing, to the point where all he could do was...

"What...the hell?" Well...say that. As soon as his voiced was heard, Noire stopped in place for a moment and turned around to face him herself.

"Huh? Ryou?" Noire said as she stared into Ryous eyes, clearly not expecting him to be behind her.

"Uuuuuh." Ryou could only blankly stare back at her, now thoroughly confused over what's happening before him. Whoever this chick is, he definitely knows it isn't Noire. Then again they've only met yesterday, so...

"Ryou! There you are. I was wondering where you were." Noire, or at least the one in front of him, happily jogged towards him as she spoke. She skipped to a stop right in front of him, looking dead straight at the LOGIN agent. Upon taking a batter look at him, Noire quickly saw that something was off. He was stiff as a metal pole and was practically staring off into space, all the while, an expression of confusion was plastered all over his face.

"Hm? Ryou, are you OK?" Ryou himself was obviously completely dumb-struck at what was happening right in front of him, to the point where he's having trouble processing what's going on...or for the lack of a better term, experiencing a internal BSOD (Blue Screen of Death).

While he was as still as a statue, Ryou felt something press against his head. It felt pretty small and kind of warm. Snapping out if it for a moment, Ryou quickly assessed what was going on now. Turning his gaze to his forehead, he saw that a small hand was placed upon it. Trailing it back to its origin, it began to click to him...Noire was apparently taking his temperature. She had her right hand on his forehead while her left was placed onto her own.

...And she was very close to his face.

"Hmm. You don't have a fever. That's good."

"...ACK!" He quickly pulled away from her in a startled daze, causing him to stagger in place and nearly tumbling the girl where she stood.

"Whoa! Ryou, are you really OK? You've been acting kind of weird today." Noire asked, but Ryou didn't seem to bother to listen.

"Igottago! SeeyalaterNoire!" He simply told her what exactly came to his mind in rapid fire and took off, using a bit of Acceleration to gain some distance quickly.

"Hey wait! Ryou!?" Noire tried to stop him, but he was already too far for her to catch up.

"Geez, what's gotten into him?" Noire spoke to herself as she gazed down to her phone and saw the time.

"CRAP! I really am going to be late! I better hurry before the producer throws a fit!" She collected her barrings and dashed off to the studio she was suppose to go, all the while keeping in mind of Ryous strange behavior.

Ironically enough, Ryou unconsciously ran a city mile away from the strange girl he just met.

"Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa..." Finally coming to a stop. Ryou held himself up on his knees to catch his breath.

While accelerating in general doesn't strain him that badly, but straining himself like that almost always leaves him exhausted, especially if he is in a panic. And in this situation, no one could blame him.

"Haa... Whoever the hell that was, was definitely not Noire. Man, not even an hour into this an already things are pretty freaky." He muttered as he stretched in place.

That girl he just encountered was far from the proud tsundere of a goddess he met just yesterday. Noire was straight-forward, hard-working, prideful and fun to tease when she's flustered. 'She' was cheerful, cocky, irresponsible, and to him, sickeningly girly. Needless to say, Ryou's going to have to go on a monster-killing spree to even out all of that moe.

Gathering his own barrings, Ryou took in his current surroundings. Sure enough, it looks exactly like Lastation. The modern-urban steam-punk style of the country being all to familiar to the LOGIN agent, with tall-buildings and factories lining the streets. For a while, this countries skies were covered in smoke due to pollution from the factories, but during the last few years of the Console War, that issue had improved tremendously, and while there are still a few smoke clouds here and there, the air in Lastation is overall much cleaner.

"Can't say I'm surprised I'm here though. I mean this is her land and my home. But still, what the freakin' hell was that back there? And what am I suppose to do now?" Ryou said to himself, scratching his head in irritation. It's bad enough. Setting aside the 'Noire' he just met, as far as knowing what to do next goes, he's about as lost as a green tunic wearing adventurer trekking in a temple under a huge lake.

("...you are to interact within the CPUs world and try to connect with the shares within her being, increasing her power and establishing a connection with her.") He once again silently recalled Histoires instructions to him from earlier. Though thinking back on it, she did in fact sound pretty vague about it.

"Connect with the shares inside them. How the hell am I suppose to do that?" Needless to say, but right now Ryou feels the need to overdose on head-ache medicine, because all of this is already giving him a migraine.

...only for it to get worse when he recalled the first part of Histoires unclear instructions.

From there, he just straight up double-face palmed himself, dreading at the fact that he probably has to be around the 'Noire' he met earlier.

"Uugh, goddess why? Do I really have to hang out with her? She's way to girly and somehow more annoying than Neptune."

"...Being unholy irresponsible doesn't help much."

"Yeah, you said it...wait, what?" Ryou turned his head towards where he heard the voice from. Though, he only caught a glimpse of waist-length silver hair before the individual retreated into a nearby alley.

"Hey, wait!" Ryou called out as he ran for the alley, though as soon as he got there, the person he called out to seemed to vanish into thin air.

"...Well, that was weird." waving off that strange event, Ryou sat down in a nearby bench and, for once, takes one important lesson Yamato taught him to heart: Actually thinking things over.

("OK, so how the hell am I going to 'interact' with her? I mean I didn't give off a good impression when I caught up with Noire...or whoever that was. Urg, come on Ryou! You're an A-Class hero in the making, think of somethi-")

*Ring*Ring*Ring*

"Huh? The hell is that? Is that my phone?" Ryou dug into all of his pockets before finally producing his cellphone which was ringing like no tomorrow.

The phone itself was an old-modeled PanStation FOMA P900iVII with a clamshell form model and a fold-and-twist flip design. On the back of the phone was LOGINs signature insignia engraved onto it. Each LOGIN agent was given one as both a complementary gift and a means of communication.

Flipping it open, Ryou saw on the caller ID that it was an unknown number. Not even bothering to wonder how he even has a decent connection inside a Goddess' Core, he presses the answer button and put it to his ear with few hesitations.

"Yello?"

"Oh, good. For a minute there, I thought you wouldn't pick up."

"Geh!" Ryou jerked the phone away from his ear the instant he heard the familiar voice of Noire on the line, all the while wondering just how the hell did she get his number. He wanted to just say screw it and hang up, but he froze in place, with his thumb hovering over the end-call button.

("Wait, this might be my best bet to get things goin'. Still, hearing Noire act all girly is pretty much something you'd see in the Uncanny Valley just outside Planeptune.") Ryou thought to himself as he steeled himself for what might happen next. All the while, he recalled a small tidbit Yamato told him about a while back when he was still training as a C-Class trainee.

("Remember Ryou: You have to keep your calm at all times, even if the situation turns for the worse or strange.")

"Easier said than done teach." He quietly whispered to himself.

"Huh? Ryou? Are you there? Hello?" 'Noire' called on the other end of the line, clearly a little startled from the radio silence.

"*Deep breath* Welp, here goes something." Ryou braced himself as he held his phone to his ear again.

"Sorry about that Noire. you kinda startled me there."

"Oh, sorry about that. I managed to get to the Studio on time, but the producer and the voice actress I was working with today were both running late, so I thought I'd call to you for a minute to see how you were doing."

"Aw, I get it."

"So, are you doing OK? You acted pretty weird when a little while ago."

"Oh, me? I'm just havin' one of those days, so no prob."

("You've been acting like a peppy schoolgirl ever since I got here and you're calling me weird!? I call bull!") He screamed internally.

"Oh, that's a relief. For a minute there, I thought you were in a lot of trouble." Ryou noticed a tinge of anxiety in her voice.

"Aww, were you worried about me?" He lightly teased/unintentionally flirted.

"O-Of course I was worried! Why wouldn't I be?" She answered bashfully, with Ryou noting that this Noire was a bit more 'Dere' than the usual 'Tsun'...not to mention, being pretty honest.

"I'm just teasin'. Anyways, are you free sometime today?" Ryou asked her...

...only for his brain to come to a complete halt the instant he finished that sentence.

("Wait, what the hell did I just say!?")

"Huh? am I free? Well, I am going to be hanging out with my sister this afternoon, so I might be free sometime this evening...W-Wait, are you asking me out on a d-date?"

("Double what the hell! How did she come to that conclusion!?")

"Uuuh, y-yeah. We could hang out or something like that." Instead of viciously denying it, which he totally would have if this were a different situation, he rolled with it and answered accordingly. If they're going to save the Candidates, he's going to have to endure this weirdness.

"..." But no answer came.

"Noire?"

"S-Sure. I would like that...Actually, I was waiting for you to ask me out for a while."

"Wha!?"

"Honestly, I thought you would never ask. I was worried you didn't like me." Before, she could say anymore, Ryou heard someone else on the line calling for Noire. most likely the producer she mentioned early.

"Shoot. Ryou, I gotta go! I'm off at 4pm this afternoon, so we'll meet up at Lastation Central Park. I-I'll see you then!"

"Noire, wai-!"

*Beep*Beep*Beep*

("D-Did I just ask a Goddess out on a date? MY Goddess no less!?") This thought was lingering in his head as he sat there, shell-shocked and stunned at how that conversation proceeded.

Granted, he did admit that Noire is pretty attractive on her own, but he did also mention that a human(NPC) being with a CPU was unheard of, even considered taboo. Considering that he vehemently denied having any sort of attraction to her, this speaks for itself. Not to mention that literally every man in Lastation would hunt his ass down and tear him apart until he was nothing more than a blood-stain on a street corner.

...Although considering that Ryou is much stronger than an average NPC, whether its that or the other way around is open for interpretation.

Nevertheless, as he just sat there to himself, he could only blurt out one lingering thought...one that basically sums up his feelings so far.

"...What the fu-!"


	10. Ryoire

A/N- The title's pretty self explanatory lol but for those of you that want some Neptune,Blanc,Vert,Uzume,Adult Nep etc...love, never fear, we've got a LONG way too go in the story so they'll get their chance to shine too eventually. Next chapter should wrap this up and finally start making progress towards the long awaited Megadimension Arc, but, for now enjoy the chapter, comment,fave,follow,PM whatever you desire x) see ya next time.

* * *

Welp, it's 3:50 pm. Wonder where little miss twintails is?"

Currently, Ryou was casually sitting on the edge of a fountain within the center of Lastation Central Park. Though in hindsight, where he was now may not be so much considered a park, but rather a small patch of land within the busy and industrialized Lastation, mainly covered with grass, a single tree to the southern part and the aforementioned fountain in the center.

Right now, the B-Class agent was waiting patiently for his "Date" with Noire. Obviously, he was pretty uncomfortable about this whole situation. Hell, he even had to go to an area outside of Lastation and went on a monster killing spree, even going so far as killing two Risky Monsters at once, not only to kill time, but to calm his nerves. After all, this is practically his very first date, and he was going in blind...and he's going out with his homelands CPU.

For most of Ryous life, even before he met Yamato, he's done nothing more than fight and survive. He didn't really have time to consider a lot of things in his life, the biggest being the thought of a love life. Aside from his rather childish promise to marry Vert when he got older, He really doesn't have that much experience with the opposite sex, to the point where he even admitted back in chapter 1 that he doesn't like talking to girls. Not only that, but he never really considered getting himself a girlfriend, for he was too focused on fulfilling his dream of becoming a hero, thus girls were probably the furthest from his mind.

Although he did remember a rather childish experiment he had once with someone he knew fondly from his childhood. The experiment in question basically involved a bit of playful, pecks on the lips, but surely that didn't mean anything right?

"...Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her in a long time. Wonder how she's doing these days?" He muttered as he lightly tapped his foot on the ground, with the image of a girl with red-orange eyes and long, sanguine(blood-red) hair worn in pigtails in his head.

He's talked about her every now and again with Yamato, but even so, he hasn't really seen anything of her in years...more specifically, ever since 'that' incident occurred.

"Shit. Not again." He sighed to himself as he shook his head in attempt to get rid of the dark thoughts looming within.

As he continued to tap his foot, he took out his clam-shell phone and took a look at the time. It was now 4:02 pm. After having Yamato constantly ride his ass about being on time, he made damn sure he was early. Even so, as he looked around, he didn't see a single sign of the twin-tailed goddess anywhere.

"Jeez, where the hell is she?" As he leaned back a bit, not too much that he would fall into the fountain behind him, a bus pulled over in the eastern section of the park. Taking a quick glance, he almost immediately spotted two pairs of twin-tails, one being notably shorter than the other. The one with the longer twin-tails making her way out of the bus before stopping to say goodbye to the other girl, and he immediately recognized her as Noire, and it would be safe to assume the other girl to be Uni, or at least this dream worlds equivalent. He perked his ears up for a moment to hear there conversation.

"I'll be home a little later this evening. Make sure you get something to eat if I'm not back by dinner OK?"

"Will do big sis. Good luck on your date."

"Thanks Uni. See you back home. Love you." Noire waved goodbye to her younger sister as the bus promptly drove off. Ryou just watched on as Noire herself had a bright and cheerful expression all over her face.

("I just took her for granted...") That phrase suddenly rang in the young mans ears as he continued to look on.

("Guess she wants her and her sis to be on better terms.") He thought to himself as Noire turned around and immediately spotted him at the fountain. He threw her a peace sign as she waved and walk to him.

As she made her way to the fountain, he took a good look at what she's currently wearing. She's adorning a pretty revealing black, red and silver uniform, consisting of a sleeveless, open tank-top giving him a good view of her cleavage, a pair of black finger-less gloves with identical red and black wristbands, a pleated-style miniskirt, a black and white checkered belt with a gold diamond buckle, black thigh-high socks and matching steel-toed boots.

For whatever reason, time seemed to slow down for the LOGIN agent, as he took in every bit of her features. Her long-slender legs, her hips and hair swaying beautifully as she moved, her fair skin glistening in the afternoon sun, her breasts bouncing at just the right mome-

("Wait, what the hell!? Am I checking her out!?") Ryou panicked and became flustered the moment he realized he was in fact checking Noire out.

"Hey Ryou! Sorry I'm late, the bus kind of got caught in traffic. did I keep you waiting?" Noire asked as she skidded to a stop in front of her date.

"N-Nah, not really. I got here about a minute ago." Ryou answered her as he shook his head in embarrassment. In reality though, he arrived a half-hour early so she didn't have to wait for his ass. Obviously it turned out to be the other way around.

"Oh phew. That's good." Noire sighed in relief, buying into Ryous lie rather easily.

"Anyways, what's with the cool-girl getup?" Ryou pointed out.

"Oh, this? It's something the producer had me wear while I was tracking vocals this morning. He told me I could keep it until tomorrow. So, do you like it?" She asked, effectively putting Ryou on the spot.

"Uuuuuuh..." Ryou just stood there, more than a little flustered and unsure of what to say. If his earlier interactions with her, Neptune and especially there respective siblings weren't enough evidence, he's really not sure on how to talk to girls, much less offer a compliment.

"Well?"

"Uh, well...I-It looks great on you, I guess." He stuttered out.

"What do you mean 'I guess'?" Noire pouted, clearly displeased at his rather plain complement.

"Well what else am I suppose to call it?" Ryou fired back, now starting to get impatient.

"*Giggles* Just kidding! I think I look great too, but it's nice to know that you agree. Thanks Ryou." She replied back, causing Ryou to raise an eyebrow at her rather conceited comment.

("She's still got that Lastation pride at least.") He thought to himself, internally relieved that at least some parts of her personality are still there.

"So, that said...let our date begin!" Noire proclaimed out-loud as she grabbed Ryou by his arm and began yanking him along, despite Ryous protests.

"What the- hey! Quit pulling!" He tried to free himself from her grasp, but both his actions and words seemed to fall on deaf ears as he is now being dragged along by the CPU of Lastation.

("Welp, no going back now.") He thought to himself as he sighed in defeat, wondering just how exactly this "Date" will end.

"OK, now where are we?" Ryou asked curiously as he took a look at where they are. After a good few minutes of Noire dragging him by the arm, they came to a stop at a small sector within Lastation that consist of various stands that served a diverse kinds of snacks and sweets.  
taking a deep breath himself, Ryou could smell several different aromas that clashed with one another, soon being able to distinguish one smell from another- ranging from classic junk-food like cotton candy, popcorn, corn-dogs and pretzels, to more traditional snack foods like takoyaki, yakisoba, dorayaki, and his personal favorite, yakiniku...only for his mouth to start watering and his stomach to lightly growl at everything he's seeing and smelling.

"I thought we'd grab a quick snack before we went anywhere. I haven't eaten since lunch and I'm betting you're probably starved." Noire replied cheerfully.

("Hmm. Guess everyone has a sweet-tooth.") He said to himself.

"So, you want to get anything?" Noire asked politely.

"Hmm?" Ryou pondered himself for a moment before doing what any normal hungry teenager do...follow his nose. The two of them walked along until a fruity, buttery scent wafted across Ryous nose.

"Over there!" Following to where the scent came from, Ryou jabbed a finger straight at a nearby crepe stand.

"Wow, you're pretty excited. Didn't think you'd be one for sweets." Noire giggled, causing Ryou to blush.

"Hey, girls aren't the only ones with a second stomach. Hell, I can stuff dinner and dessert in one!" Ryou boasted as this time, he took the lead as he grabbed Noire by the hand and made there way to the crepe stand. When they came up to the counter, Ryou noticed that there was no one there at all.

"Yooooo! Anyone here?" Ryou called out. A moment later, a teenaged pretty boy with glasses came from the back of the stand and came up to the front counter.

"Hello there. Sorry about that, I had to-" The clerk began to speak, only for him to flash his eyes to Noire with complete recognition.

"Oh! Hey Noire! How's it been. Didn't recognize you for a second there." The young man greeted her almost as if she were a friend.

"Oh, hey Gin. How has it been?" Noire greeted back, causing Ryou to raise an eyebrow.

"You know this guy?"

"Yeah. I actually come to this stand every now and then whenever I can. I came so often Gin and I eventually became friends."

"Aw, gotcha."

"Well, who wouldn't at least heard of Lastations top idol and voice actress? It's kind of impossible y'know. By the way, you really did great when you voiced Guren on last nights episode of Maruto." The clerk complimented.

"*Giggles* Thanks. Be sure to tune in next time. I promise it'll be better."

("Well then, aren't we little Miss Popular in her own head?") Ryou sarcastically thought to himself.

"Anyways, what can I get for you and your date Noire?" The clerk, Gin asked the pair, with Noire blushing up a bit of a storm at the word date before quickly looking at the small menu to wave it off, with Ryou either oblivious to the clerks comment or not really minding...no one knows.

"I'd like a plain crepe with chocolate filling and cut strawberries." She decided with few hesitations.

"Alrighty, and what about you 'sir'." He asked Ryou, but he obviously detected a hint of malice when he called him 'sir'. Not minding his comment one bit however, Ryou took a look at what he has.

"...I guess I'll get a chocolate crepe with orange cream filling." Ryou chose casually.

"Coming right up." The Clerk proclaimed as he made his way to the back of the stand. Within minutes, the clerk had fully prepared two crepes for each of them: one standard with chocolate filling and strawberries in the inside, another that's chocolate with orange-cream filling.

"Alright, here you go you two. These are on the house, so enjoy!"

"Wait, are you sure Gin?"

"Well you are on a date with this 'handsome fellow', so I thought I'd be nice." Ryou once again detected some venom in the clerks tone. He was pretty annoyed now, but he decided not to show it. He's got bigger things to worry about than some jealous loser.

"Oh, alright. Thanks."

"Yeah, thanks dude." The two of them took there free crepes and walked along to a nearby bench.

Before they could get very far however, Ryou clearly heard "lucky prick" coming straight behind him. Deciding to have a little fun at the poor saps expense, he turned his head while Noire wasn't looking and smirked at him. He lightly chuckled as he got the result he wanted: the clerk was flipping his shit, all the while mouthing every curse word in the book at him, only for another customer to walk in front of him as he does, and in a panic, he straighten himself out and put on a happy face and asked what would they like. the customer had a huge sweat-drop down the back of her head as all of that transpired.

("Hahahaha! Serves you right su-")

"U-Um, Ryou?"

"Huh? What's up?" As they sat down on a nearby bench, he turned his attention to Noire as soon as he heard her voice. Although he didn't even bother to notice that her voice sounded a bit more meek...nor could be barely notice the obvious blush on her face.

"...You can let go of my hand now." She said softly. Still confused, Ryou looked down and saw that he was holding her hand the entire time.

"Oh...oooh. Sorry about that." Seeing his mistake, Ryou promptly yanked his hand away from Noires.

"I-It's OK. I didn't mind too much. I mean we are on a date." Noire reassured him, although that didn't shake off her nerves one bit.

"Eh. Whatevs. Anyways, lets chow down!" Ryou quickly and casually changed the subject, and Noire followed along, nodding with a smile. With that, the two of them both took a bit out of there crepes and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Noire on one hand ate a bit slowly so she could savor the rich taste of milk chocolate clashing with sweet strawberries.

Ryou on the other hand just simply snarfed down his crepe, although he was enjoying the sweet yet sour citric taste of orange along with his fluffy chocolate crepe. Just as Ryou was taking another bite, his eyes wonder to his right, and spotted something rather suspicious.

...Or rather someone suspicious.

("What the hell?") from the corner of his eye, he spotted a woman with waist-length silver hair with teal eyes wearing a skin-tight suit looking straight at them before walking away. Turning his head to follow where the woman was going, she just retreated into the crowd, making it impossible for the LOGIN agent to see her.

("There she goes again...she looks kinds familiar though.") He thought to himself as the mysterious woman completely disappears into the crowd. To his other side, without his knowing and as if spurred on by instinct, Noire lunged and took a bite out of Ryous crepe.

"Wait, what the-!? Noire!" Quickly turning back around in time to see her bite down and retreat, Ryou exclaimed in shock and annoyance.

"What the hell did you do that for!?"

"I wanted to try some for myself, and it turns our your was better than mine." She replied with an innocent shrug. She then proceeded to raise hers up to him.

"Here, you can some of mine if you want."

"Gladly! Aaaahh *NOM*" With few hesitations, Ryou lunged for Noires crepe and literally took a massive chunk out of it.

"Heeey! I said you could take a bite, not eat half of it!" Noire pouted as she looked at her mostly eaten crepe...only for her face to turn red at the thought of the fact that bitten off that moments ago. Even more so of the fact that she had bitten off a part of Ryous where he had his mouth at too.

"T-T-That was an...indirect k-kiss..." Noire muttered bashfully to herself.

"Yo Noire. you OK there?" Ryou asked, completely oblivious to the fact that he and Noire shared an indirect kiss just now.

" Eh!? OH, nothing! Nothing at all!" Noire answered as she quickly ate the rest of her crepe and wiped her face off. Panicking, she got off the bench and tried to look for somewhere to go.

("The hell's got her so riled up?") He wondered to himself as Noire scanned her surroundings.

"...There! Lets go there!" Noire shouted as she pointed in the direction of...

"A Karaoke bar?"

"Come on, let's go!"

"What the- Hey! What did I say about pulling!" Before Ryou could protest further, Noire grabbed him by his arm and once more dragged him along to there destination.

* * *

"Huh. Didn't think you were into this sort of thing Noire."

"Well originally this was just a fun hobby of mine, but a little after my voice-over career started, people started to ask me to sing in some of my roles. Heck, I even got to voice a few anime openings, so I'd say it works out for me!"

"Aw. Gotcha...but still, 5000 credit for a room this small? I could get myself a new weapon for that much cash! The guys who own this place are a buncha cheapskates."

At this moment, the two of them are sitting together inside of a moderately sized room. the room itself is a standard private karaoke room, with Ryou and Noire sitting comfortable in a sectional black leather couch that covers the wall behind them, a small snack table right in front of them in the middle of the room along with two microphones, and onto the right corner of the room form where they are sitting is a rather large entertainment center with a 32 inch plasma screen TV and a large, black and silver karaoke machine with Lastations symbol engraved onto the very middle, sitting right beneath it.

"Well they were nice enough to give us a discount at least. Anyhow, mind if I go first?" Noire asked, making it apparent that she really wants to sing til her hearts content.

"Yeah sure, go ahead." Ryou answered nonchalantly. If he were to be honest, he's not exactly one for singing...or music in general for that matter. With a nodded, Noire happily took one of the two microphone on the table and made her way to the karaoke machine.

Noire bent over to take a look at the selection of music it has, taking her sweet time to choose which song to sing to. Though unbeknownst to her, Ryou got a front row view of her white-lacey panties, both due to her bending over, and the fact that she is wearing a tiny miniskirt.

Ryou visibly flinched and blushed heavily at the sight, but managed to keep his mouth shut with his hand so he didn't make any noise and alert Noire. It was bad enough he was (technically) going out with a Goddess, he sure as hell didn't want to get bitch slapped straight into the stratosphere.

"Here we go!" Noire chirped as she selected her chosen song and got to a good position, thankfully with her panties out of eye sight, earning a quiet sigh of relief from Ryou.

He took a peak at the TV screen and got more than a little creeped out a what he saw. It was a still image of a group of highschool students standing in front of what looked like a run-down elementary school, complete with shattered windows, dark stormy skies and he could've swore he has seen several corpses within the windows, with there decaying organs and body parts shows in small yet graphic detail. what really freaked him out was the image of a little girl about the Lowee candidates age with eerily pale skin and a torn blood-red dress, wielding a bloodied pair of scissors.

Unnerved, he quickly took a look at the songs title. It reads [Shangri-La/ From: Party of the Deceased/ Performed by: Noire]

("Noire!? She sang to this shit!") He screamed internally, now more than disturbed at the revelation. Turning his attention to Noire, while she remained a little optimistic, Ryou noticed that she seemed a little sad looking at the screen.

Before he had time to think, the music started to play, opening with a haunting organ and choir, quickly making way for some equally unnerving guitar, drums and synth. and in the next moment, Noire began to sing.

 **~A long distant trip, wasn't it? Till we met at that point~**

 **~(I am) like a term or a symbol, all on its own. With you gone from me I would... ~**

 **~prefer to throw my befouled body into a rotten ark.~**

 **~With the beautiful lies I wish to drown in.~**

 **~I miss you, but I can't see you, oh, where have you gone?~**

 **~I don't know. I don't want to hear it. The truth. No, not yet~**

 **~The flightless ones, the wingless birds, their requiem again~**

 **~echoes with the heart of Shangri-La~**

As the song came to a short end, Ryou breathed a sigh of relief, mainly because the imagery shown as Noire sang along to the lyric, well...

...Let's just say that the authors themselves won't be gracing those with descriptions. Lets just say that it would probably give kids nightmares otherwise.

Although Ryou did admit that there was one saving grace to it, and that was Noires singing. He won't lie this time, he was entranced to her voice the instant she opened her mouth, both her vocal performance, which was slow yet calm, and her timing where perfect, and she more than nailed the emotions displayed in the song itself. not to mention that Ryou took a few glances at Noire herself, and caught her lightly dancing to the music. Needless to say, if he didn't think she was beautiful before, he does now. Although upon closer inspection, Ryou caught a small tear running down Noires cheek.

"Hey Noire? You OK?"

"Huh?" confused, Noire unconsciously placed one of her hands to her cheek. Upon feeling her cheek being rather damp, she sees what Ryou was getting at.

"Oh, this? Sorry, I just got a little emotional from the song."

"Well, guess even you can be a little sappy sometimes huh? Ehehe." He lightly teased, earning a healthy blush from the CPU in question.

"Heeey, don't be mean." She pouted, with Ryou chuckling in triumph.

"Anyhow, so you actually sang this before?"

"Well yeah, I did. This is actually the opening song for a video game I was casted in. It's a pretty popular survival horror game about a group of students being trapped in a haunted elementary school, trying there best to find a way out...although some of them don't actually make it. It's a great, yet really heart-rending story, I'll admit."

"And you voiced one of the main heroes I take it?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, she was really into spirits and anything occult related, which made her pretty sensitive to the supernatural, so she got possessed a lot in the game. I felt very bad for her as I read more into the script and more of the story in general. Needless to say, I felt really sorry for all of them, especially since all that was suppose to happen was to give one of there friends a send off before she transferred to another school...she ended up dying a gruesome death."

"Whoa...dark."

"Oh, sorry. Guess I got a bit too sentimental. That aside, it's your turn now Ryou." She said to him as she wiped away her tears and hanged her microphone to him.

"Eh, I think I'll pass. I don't think singing is really my thing."

"Oh come on. It's not that bad. I'm sure you're pretty good."

"Nope. not doin' it."

"Oh come one Ryou. Are you chicken or what?" Ryou flinched in annoyance.

"I ain't no chicken! Who the hell do you think I am?" He told her upfront as he snatched the microphone from her hand and got up form his seat.

"Hey! You didn't have to snatch it like that, geez!" Noire pouted again.

"Just take a seat and watch princess. I'm gonna knock your socks off!" Ryou boasted as he sifted through the track list, which mainly compose of shortened versions of songs from various bands. He might not like it, but to him, anyone who challenges his pride like that is going to get an eyeful. Randomly looking through, he spotted one particular song that caught his eyes. It was titled [Number One/ From: Blanch/ Sung by: Hazal Fernandez].

"Lets check this out." He pressed the OK button and got into position as he stood up straight and looked straight at the TV screen, waiting for the song to start and show Noire who's the better singer.

"Oh, good choice. That songs actually pretty popular in the anime community." Noire piped up.

"That so?"

"Yes. Though to be honest, I haven't really seen it myself, at least not yet, but it has been one of the top 3 big time shows out there, along with Two Piece and Maruto, with this song being the main characters theme song."

"Uh huh." ("Guess she's also a bit of an anime nerd too. Hehe, never gonna let her live this down.") He thought to himself with a smirk, only to draw his attention back to the screen when the music started playing. The song opened up with some drums for a few seconds to make way for a pretty sick guitar riff.

As the music continues, quickly adding in synth into the mix, Ryou found himself head-nodding to the beat, quickly taking a liking to the song in just a few seconds flat. A few seconds more, and was fully into the song, practically almost headbanging to it as the lyrics came up on the screen seconds before they are sung.

("Alright, let's gun it!") Ryou shouted internally as he is now hyped up and ready to work his manly vocals.

 **~If you wanna see some action**  
 **Gotta be the center of attraction**  
 **Make sure that they got their eyes on you**  
 **Like a face that you see on every magazine~**

 **~Be the focus of attention**  
 **Be the name that everyone must mention**  
 **Come out from the shadows it's your time**  
 **'cause tonight is the night for everyone to see~**

 **~It's natural**  
 **You know that this is what you got to be**  
 **It must the your destiny~**

 **~Sensational**  
 **And you believe that**  
 **This is what you've waited for and**  
 **It's you back way on the door~**

 **~Baby now you feel like Number One**  
 **Shining bright for everyone**  
 **Living out your fantasy**  
 **The brightest star for all to see~**

 **~Now you feel like Number One**  
 **Shining bright for everyone**  
 **Living out your fantasy**  
 **The brightest star that's ever been~**

"YEAAAH HAHA! Whoa!" Ryou cheered out as the song came to an abrupt end.

"OK, I'll admit, that was actually pretty tight." Ryou said to himself as he made his way back to the couch next to Noire.

"I'll say. You were really into it." Noire agreed, looking especially please.

"Yeah well, it is me we're talking about, so no surprise there." Ryou replied whilst putting down the microphone and stretching his arms apart.

"...Huh?" Before he realized, his right hand landed on something very soft. Wondering what it is, he gave it a light squeeze, only to hear a soft moan in response. confused, he turned his head...only for his skin to pale in realizing that his hand was on Noires breast.

In contrast, Noire was bright red all over, her eyes darting from Ryous face to his hand still groping her. She breaths in deeply with her mouth still agape, with Ryou knowing exactly how this is going to end.

"...Aw, shit!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

*SMACK*


	11. Lastation Rematch

A/N- Were close to wrapping this up...real close, here's chapter 11 aka episode 11. Their are usually 12 episodes in a seasonal anime, that being said, we wrap up the Prologue Arc, or whatever you want to call this, in the next one. Chapter 13 will begin *drumroll* the megadimension arc where we will go by the games story and start in the Zero Dimension and work up to you know what. Personally I'm eager for the Gold Third arc for reasons...Anyway enjoy the chapter and we'll see you in the next one. Side not, there's a poll on my profile up, you can take it if you want x)

* * *

"I know I kinda groped you and all, but did you really have to bitch-slap me across the room?" He asks while being a little ticked off, sporting a comically massive slap mark on his face.

"I said I was sorry." Noire apologized, a mixture of shame and embarrassment being shown on her face.

"Meh, it's cool. Still though, you could've at least went a little easy on me." He replied rubbing his cheek.

"W-What did you want me to do? No one has...ever touched me like that." She mumbled bashfully.

("D-Damn it, don't make it sound weird!") He thought to himself.

After that small incident, the two of them were told that there time was up and they had to leave. Embarrassed, they both quickly left the premise and simply walked around for a while, with the occasional small talk.

"Huh? How the hell did we get back here?" After he finished rubbing his cheek, Ryou looked ahead and saw that they were back at the park from earlier.

"Guess we must've been walking in circles. Anyways, I'm a little tired. Mind if we sit down for a bit?" Noire asked.

"Eh, I guess. Good time as any."

They then proceeded to walk towards the fountain Ryou was waiting at just a little while ago and sat down, getting comfortable near the edge. For a while, they simply just sat there in silence. They occasional look to each other to try to start a conversation, but found themselves unable to say anything and just awkwardly turn back around.

("Man, this is kind of awkward.") He thought to himself. Clearly the atmosphere was starting to get a little much for the both of them.

"...You know, I had a lot of fun today." Noire blurted out, and Ryou immediately turned his head to her, gaining his full attention.

"W-With our date I mean." She finished, struggling to keep eye contact with Ryou as she was still a little embarrassed about that whole incident at the karaoke bar.

"Well, you can't exactly call it a date. I mean we barely did anything all things considered."

"But you did have fun at least didn't you?" Ryou looked to her, only to flinch a little at the sight of Noire boldly looking straight at him, anxiously awaiting for his answer.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did actually." He responded the best he could. However he did not lie, in fact he did have fun with what little time they spent...though he would be lying if he said he would have more fun fighting a Viral Phoenix with one hand tied behind his back.

"Phew, that's good."

"Wha? You didn't think I'd have a good time hanging out with a pretty girl like you?"

"N-No I didn't...OK, maybe a bit. I was kind of scared that you would get bored and just walk away."

"Oh please. Give me some credit. I'm not that much of an asshole."

"Well you are a bit of a jerk sometimes, especially when you tease me."

"Heeeey."

Noire simply just giggled at Ryous protest. Soon enough, it turned into full-blown laughter, and for whatever reason, Ryou simply joined in and laugh along with her. They calmed down eventually, as everything came back to a calm silence. This time it wasn't awkward, but rather more content and peaceful.

"Soooo...let me ask you Noire, did you have fun?" After a while, Ryou asked Noire in turn.

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I? Granted, it's as you say that we didn't do much, but isn't a date all about just spending and enjoying time with someone?" Noire responded in kind, catching the young man off guard again.

"Well, when you put it like that, you're actually right. I mean I admit that I'm not a big fan of music, but I did get pretty into singing my lungs out."

"A bit too into it if you ask me *giggles*"

"That and the crepes were pretty good, even if they couldn't fill the old food bag, ehe."

"Oh!" Noire jumped up in place, surprising Ryou at her sudden action.

"Whoa, what's up?"

"That reminds me. There was this cute new cake shop I saw on the way here. I promised Uni I would get her one before I went home." Noire replied. Curious, Ryou took a look at his watch and it read [5:37 PM].

"Now that you mention it, it is getting kinda late." Ryou told no one in particular, but looked up to see that Noire had her hand to her chin and was talking to herself.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I should at least spend some more time with her...Ahh, but I think my careers really about to blow up."

("First world problem of the century right there.") He amusingly thought.

"And she's growing up so fast too. Heck, she's even starting to keep up with me...maybe it's almost time I leave Lastation to her and devote myself to the Voice-Over industry."

"Wait what!?" Ryou bolted out of his seat and looked straight at her in shock. It was one thing to see a different side to someone you somewhat respect, but for Noire to actually imply that she might want to quit being a CPU is unimaginable, not to mention completely unlike her.

"Is that what you really think Noire?"

"Huh!?" They both flinched at the proud and somewhat familiar voice.

"Are you really going to abandon your duties and shove them all on your sister!? You're no better than that air-headed slacker Neptune!" They both looked around the park to try and find where that voice was coming from.

"..The hell!?" Ryou spotted someone leaning against the tree with her arms and legs crossed, It was the same woman he's seen twice, and now that he's gotten a better look at her, he was completely stunned at what he saw, to the point where he looked between her and Noire.

"Hmph! How long are you going to keep acting like a child? Don't you have any pride?" Because the woman in question was none other than Black Heart, very much staring straight at them...or to be more specific, she's staring at Noire.

("OK, what in the freakin' hell is going on here!?") Ryou thought to himself, understandably confused at what is going on right now. Regardless if this is Noires dream world, seeing her Goddess Form separate from her human one is still unnerving. Even more so since "Black Heart" seems to be chastising Noire.

"W-Who are you!? I would never do that to Uni!" Noire stepped forward and tried to defend herself, but even Ryou could tell that's she's already visibly shaken up by Black Hearts comment.

"Oh really? Question: when was the last time you actually did anything for her sake?" She asked as she glared daggers at Noire, all the while slowly making her way towards her.

"I...uuh..."

"Exactly. And do you know why? Because you know that she's not worth your time. She may be good on the battlefield, but she's also impulsive, brash and lets her emotions cloud her judgement. If she can't even manage that, she's not even worthy of being a CPU candidate, much less the next CPU."

"N-No! You're wrong! I'd never think that!"

"How long are you going to keep deluding yourself? Face it. She's not ready to become Lastations CPU, if ever. You just want an excuse so you could finally shirk off your duties, but in the end you can't. It's your job. Your duty! No one else!"

"S-Stop it!"

"Seriously!? Cosplay, voice-acting, dating!? Why would a nations leader want to do any of those degrading things? You should just focus on what's important for Lastation and just forget about all this nonsense. While your at it, why don't you just walk up to that slacker of a CPU and tell her to shut up about that "Lonely Tsundere" bull crap! Who needs friends anyway? They would just get in the way of your goals."

"Just stop! What do you know about-!" Black Heart promptly came to a stop with a stomp, right in front of Noire, causing her to flinch and freeze in place as Black Heart is now staring her in the face.

"What do I know about you? Haven't you figured it out already...I AM you. I am Black Heart, the Console Patron Unit of Lastation, your true self."

"...Stop...It." Noire could barely muster those words, much less move from her spot.

Ryou on the other hand just simply watched the events unfold before him. Though he will admit, seeing Noire getting chewed out like this, for whatever reason, is starting to piss him off, maybe it was the semi generic light novel protagonist side of him, he thought as he clenched both his hands in anger as Black Heart continued on.

"We practically build Lastation from the ground up, and have kept it going for years on end. Always succeeding. Always innovating. Hell, we were the ones who coined the phrase "Lastation only does everything"! So why throw all that away just so you can act like a normal girl when you obviously will never be one?"

"Stop it!" Noire was now begging her to stop, but Black Heart just continues.

"Face it! You're a CPU, a Goddess! You're much better than the common, weak, depraved and vulgar masses!"

"PLEASE STOP!"

"You have much better things to do than hang around with your useless sister, her annoying friends, and especially that cocky, prideful, uncivilized battle maniac who only knows how to fight like a mons-!"

"Cut the bullshit. Now."

"Huh!" Looking to her right, Black Heart pushed Noire away, causing her to tumble onto her rear, and jumped back as a high-speed energy slash came barreling towards her. Landing safely on her feet, she looked to where Ryou was at, but sees that he disappeared.

"Where are yo-" Before, she could finish her sentence, as if he came out of thin air, she found herself with Ryous blade straight at her throat, with the LOGIN agent looking very pissed off, an intimidating scowl on his face though she remained unphased.

"I don't know why, but hearing you talk is really starting to tick me off, but I'll tell you what you can redeem yourself by fighting me now, one on one."

"Ryou..." Noire was both taken aback and secretly relieved at Ryous actions.

"You? Fight me? All by yourself? Ha! You're either really brave or just a plain idiot for challenging me!"

"As a man once said: "A true Hero never leaves a good deed undone." Besides, I've been itching for a rematch against you, so I'd say this is killing two horsebirds with one stone." He retorted, his anger being replaced with his signature cockiness, complete with smirk.

"...Hmph!" Within seconds, Black Heart materialized her broadsword and swung straight down towards Ryou.

"Haa!"

*SWING**CLASH**CLANG**CLASH*

With excellent reaction speed, Ryou narrowly dodged the first strike and swung his sword in kind as they began to clash blades with one another, with the last one pushing them both away from one another, with Black Heart in the middle of the field, and Ryou standing in front of Noire.

"Ryou, are you OK?"

"Yep. No problem. Just stay there Noire, I'll take care of this."

"What!? Are you insane!? You can't fight her!"

"Just watch me..." He turned his head to her and gave her a confident smile and a thumbs up

"I'm not going to let some haughty broad trash talk you, your my date after all" He said to her with a wink, causing Noire to blush up a storm.

"Are you through flirting with her over there?" Black Heart called out.

"Oh, I'm sorry to keep you waiting your highness. Would you like me to escort you off your thrown, or do you want me to kick your ass off it?" He taunted

"Mock me all you want, but in the end, it's you who will be tasting defeat. Now, defend yourself!"

(BGM Playing: The Gushing Broken Pipe - Hyperdimension Neptunia)

With that outcry, they both charged towards one another, Black Heart flying to Ryou and Ryou himself using Acceleration to match her speed.

"Haa!"

"Eat this!"

*CLASH*

As soon as they were within reach, they swung there swords to one another and locked blades, the earth beneath them screaming as they came to a sudden stop from there blade clash. They each tried to push the other back, but it came to a quick stand still. Instead, they pushed away from each other and came rushing back, clashing and parrying eachother in quick succession before pushing eachother back again.

"Ha! Nice one! I almost felt that!"

"Let's see how long you can keep up that cocky attitude of yours!" With a flick of her wrist. Black Heart began charging share energy into her broadsword as it soon changed into a multi-colored longsword. In seconds, she charged again toward the LOGIN agent, attempting to slice him in half.

"...Hmph." Looking towards his attacker with his usual smirk, he simply pointed his sword to her as she closed the distance between them...

"Wha?" And threw his sword above his own head, causing it to spin in place high in the air. While this diverted her attention, if only for a split second, she called his bluff and continued forward with few hesitations. As soon as she was within range, she swung her sword with all her might.

However, at the same moment that her sword begins to move forward, Ryou crouched down a bit, and just as her sword was about to make contact, pumped in as much force as he could into his legs and outright high-jumped over the blade, all the while using Acceleration to propel himself further upwards straight to where his sword was.

Black Heart had no time to divert her attack as Ryou jumped, so she finished her swing and blasted the area behind him, her sword leaving behind a short slash wave before it turned back into its normal state.

Quickly looking upwards, Black Heart spotted Ryou grasping his sword, somersaulting in place and then quickly driving his sword downwards to strike her. She raised her sword quickly and blocked the on-coming from attack from above. The instant Ryou landed on one knee and his sword to his side in front of her after the attack, she intended to strike him then and there, but noticed that he was still smirking.

Her instincts told her to block, but by the time she realized what he was doing it was too late. Using his knee to drive himself back up, he swung his sword back up vertically just as fast as he landed, not only knocking Black Hearts sword away, but also slashing her on her right shoulder as he back flipped away from her, landing on his hands and pushing himself backwards to stand back up.

Grunting in pain as she held her wounded shoulder, Black Heart glared at Ryou menacingly, both angered and insulted that he managed to get a hit on her first.

"Well...this is sort of disappointing." Ryou said all the while giving her a cheesy grin

"Tch! Don't get cocky!" Black Heart then flied high into the air and came crashing down on Ryou. Seeing this too easily, Ryou accelerated backwards a few meters just before she made her hit as the ground where he used to stand erupted in flames.

"You're gonna have to do better than that if you wanna catch up with me!" Ryou taunted, only for Black Heart to quickly appear out of the smoke ad began charging to him.

Seeing this, he cocks his sword back in a stabbing position, steeling himself for the on-coming attack. Both preparing themselves for the others attack, Ryou thrusted hims sword towards Black Heart sing acceleration to shoot forward to her, while Black Heart cocked her own sword back, getting ready to strike as she flew faster.

*CLANG*

The next instant, they went past one another, with Black Heart adorning yet another injury, and Ryou simply smirked to himself. However...

"Foolish boy." He could feel Black Heart herself smirking to that remark as he heard her snap her fingers, and without a moments thought, multiple slashes came out of nowhere and zero in on him.

"Damn it." bracing himself, he used Acceleration in order to parry the high-speed attacks, and though he tried his hardest, he was only able to parry and black a few of them, with the rest easily cutting him up from head to toe. Noire flinched as she sees Ryou getting cut up from Black Hearts "Tornado Chain".

"Who's laughing now, pervert? Are we having fun yet?" Black Heart boasted, all too sure that her victory was in reach. However, the only response she got from the LOGIN agent was a chuckle, which quickly turned into laughter.

"Hey, what are you laughing about!?" She inquired, now more than a little irritated at his continuous insolence.

"Having fun? Hehehehe..." He turned his head to her, only to show her a disturbingly excited expression plastered all over his face, complete with what looks like a slasher smile.

"...I'm having the time of my life here! Acceleration!" Turning back around, he closed the distance between them in an instant and whaled on Black Heart with a seemingly endless barrage of sword slashes. He came in so fast and so strongly that Black Heart was just barely able to keep up.

*SWISH**CLANG**CLANG*CLASH**CLASH*

("To think he's putting me on the defensive this fast! Who the hell is this guy!?") Black Heart wondered as Ryou continued to pressure her down with his relentless assault. She does her absolute best to stand her ground, but soon she started to notice that he is actually pushing her back. Further insulted, she applied more force into her swings and was finally making progress as they now have equal footing against one another.

*CLASH**SWISH**SWISH*CLANG*

In the background, Noire simply sat there as the battle continued to unfold. While she was well aware of the fact that agents from LOGIN were very powerful even for human standards, seeing Ryou not only effortlessly dodging and tanking Black Hearts attacks, but also, putting her on the defensive in a short amount of time was a sight to behold. And that's keeping in mind that Ryou is still a B-Class agent, making both her and secretly Black Heart wonder how they might fare against an A-Class, who are supposedly as strong, if not stronger than a CPU.

*CLASH*

"Gh! Haa...Haa...Haa..."

"Tch! Haa...Haa...Haa..."

After what seemed like an eternity, the two combatants came to another standstill, both now starting to become exhausted from there battle. Black Heart from Ryous relentless barrage of attacks, and Ryou from not only Black Hearts own, but also from exerting his Acceleration a little too much.

"Haa...Haa...what? Finished already boy?"

"Nah... I'm just getting started. So how about you start takin' me seriously and show me whatcha got?"

"Wha?"

"Heh. Didn't think I noticed did ya? I could tell that you were holding back the whole time. And looking at you now, I think we both know that I can dish back more than you can. Now quit screwing around around and show me the real deal!" He boasts as he jabs his sword straight at her.

"Grrr...Hehehehe." Black Heart chuckled darkly to herself, prompting Ryou to raise an eyebrow.

"Alright. I'll gladly show you. Just take note of what you're getting yourself into!" She proclaimed as she takes a stance and began charging a large amount of share energy to her body, forming a silverish aura around her entire body.

"And the real fun begins." Ryou says to himself as he prepares himself for what's to come. Right now, his blood is just pumping from the battle thus far, a lot more than he did when fighting Black Heart last time, and seeing that she's taking him seriously now, he's really going to enjoy kicking her butt in the end.

"This is the power of Lastations CPU! Infinite Slash!"

"Ryou, watch out!" Noire tried to warn him, but he was simply too focused on the battle at hand, so he didn't even hear her, much less heed her warning. Seeing his blind arrogance, Black Heart charged straight for him, giving him everything she has. Ryou brings his sword up and just as Black Heart came within range, he parried her first strike, only for her to fly straight back to him from a different angle. From there, she continuously slashes at him from all directions and he either blocks or parries each in-coming strikes, with Black Heart moving faster and faster with each strike.

Throughout this process, Ryou could feel something strange everytime they clashed blades. He couldn't quite put his finger on it at the moment, but it feels as if something is being sent into his body every single time they crossed swords.

After one more parry, Black Heart comes to a halt as her sword transforms back into the multi-colored longsword from before and came rushing at him with a vertical slash, then a horizontal one, with Ryou blocking the first strike, and the other one cutting him on the shoulder.

"Crap! That burns." Staggering from his own carelessness, Black Heart went high above him with her sword upraised and simply threw it straight down. Seeing the sword coming in hot, he didn't have enough time to parry due to his now injured shoulder, nor could he escape due to overusing Acceleration earlier in the fight. As such, he simply raised the flat part of the blade above him and blocked the sword as it crashed down on him so fast and hard, not only did the ground beneath him shatter, but his own sword started to crack from the strain.

Taking a quick side glance, he spotted Black Heart with her back to him and her right hand extended to her side, preparing to snap her fingers and thus finish her attack. It was at that moment, Ryou just knew...

...He fucked up.

"!"

"Farewell."

(BGM END)

*SNAP*

The attack came in an instant. The sword he was blocking exploded in a bright flash, and along with it came innumerable amount of slashes coming at him form all directions within a one meter radius. Having no time to think or act, Ryou found himself overwhelmed as he took the full brunt of Black Hearts attack. But as he grunts and yells in pain, he is also having the same feeling as before, Almost as if the very knowledge of Black Hearts attacks are somehow being transferred onto him as he is being mauled by the attack.

By the time the attack finally finished, Ryou was gasping for air as his body felt on fire from all the attacks coming at him at once, evident by the fact that his entire body was now covered in slash marks, some of which might possibly scar, as well as his own blood. Not only that, but during the process, his sword shattered to pieces, leaving him with only a half broken blade with a damaged hilt.

From a distance, Noire could only cover her mouth and quake in fear as she gazes at Ryous near critical condition. The once proud, if very cocky warrior now reduced to a wobbling mess.

"Haahahahaha! Oh how quickly ones bravado goes out the window when you're put in your place." Black Heart taunted as she stood satisfied of the aftermath of her EXE Drive. Ryou looks as if he could collapse at any moment. His entire body is racked with pain as he sways to and fro. Then, without warning, he began leaning forward, getting ready to fall flat on his face. Black Heart looked on with prideful glee, while Noire could only look on helplessly. However...

*STOMP!*

"Wha!?" Both girls yelled out as Ryou quickly raised his right foot and stomped down, firmly planting it to the ground, preventing his fall. He stood back up straight, albeit with a little struggle with his bangs shadowing his face and extended his fist to Black Heart, with his thumb sticking out. Just as quickly, he jabbed his thumb upwards and looked straight at Black Heart, his blood-covered face adorning a cocky smile and a determined glare.

"Ha! Still standing! You're gonna have to try a little harder than THAT to beat me!" Ryou roared in defiance, now more fired up than ever, despite his injuries. Noire looked on, eyes wide in awe, while Black Heart grit her teeth in annoyance.

"Ugh! You are annoyingly stubborn!"

"Takes one to know one. That said..." He pops his neck and began stretching his arms and legs before getting into a stance.

"You ready for another round?"

"Y-Y-You can't be this stupid! You can barely stand as you are now! Why don't you just give up!?"

"Heh! A hero never backs down from a challenge! I'm not gonna stop, even if my blade is completely exhausted or my body is torn to shit. I'll just keep on fighting until the very end!"

"Ryou..."

"That's crazy! Just what the hell are you trying to gain out of all this!? Trying to act all tough and cool!"

"Aha! Now there's the Noire I know. I was beginning to wonder where all that "Tsun" went off to."

"S-Shut up! It's not like I actually find your stupid bravado appealing!"

("You say that, but your face says otherwise, hmhmhm.")

"Besides, what do you know about me!? Y'know what, forget you! I've got more important things to do." Black Heart turned her back to Ryou and started making her way back to Noire.

"Like what, pray tell?" Ryou puts Black Heart on the spot, causing her to stop in place. Now fed up with him, she turned her head and began shouting.

"As if I'm going to tell you! Like I told that dimwit over there, I don't have time for any of this crap! I'm a goddess for crying out loud! I have better things to do than waste my time with friends or hobbies!"

"What!? Ran out of smartass remarks!?"

"Sheesh. You're still going on about that? Seriously, get a life man." Ryou muttered as he scratched the back of his head.

"What!?"

"Look..." He took his hand away from his head and pointed straight at Black Heart.

"I'm not going to say I know everything about you, because plainly I don't, and it would probably be a giant pain in the ass doing so. But what I can tell you is that you seriously need to just let go and enjoy yourself every now and then." Catching her full attention, Black Heart turned on her heel and began to listen without breaking her stare on him. Noire on the other hand, simply listened in.

"What are you saying?"

"I think it's pretty obvious what I'm saying. You may act like a tough chick, but I can say now without a doubt that you have a lot of insecurities. Then again, even I can tell that being a goddess of a nation ain't a bed of roses. I can tell that much everytime Yamato comes back from a solo mission drop-dead tired."

"If it were easy, Neptune could play around like an idiot as much as she could!"

"Exactly, and if I've learned anything about you and that purple maniac is that even if you're goddess, you're still people. Living, breathing people with there own desires and goals."

"Looks like we ran of things to say ourself. Well in that case...Hey, Noire!" He called out to her from across the field. She immediately looked to him from afar, wondering what exactly he wants to say to her.

"Like I said before, I'm honestly not very good with this sort of thing, but listen close, cause I'm only gonna tell you once. *ahem*... JUST BE YOU!"

"Huh?"

"It's one thing to act tsundere whenever things get kinda weird, which to be honest is kinda cute, but you don't need to be all insecure about what you like to do. Just try and be yourself, is all I'm sayin'."

"R-Ryou..."

"And also, if any asshat out there tries to insult you or if most of your people leave you, worry not...Cause I'm going to be there for ya from here on out! That is a heroes promise!" He proclaimed to her, while jabbing a thumb straight onto his chest.

("...Just be myself.") Noire was at a lost for words. In her whole lifetime as a goddess, not one person has ever told her that. Those words were simple, but they rang true to her ears.

"...You're full of crap!" Snapping them both back to reality for a moment, Black Heart screamed out in anger.

"Don't worry? Be yourself? What kind of nonsense are you blabbering about!? You know what, screw it! I'm going to shut that mouth of yours once and for all!" Without a moments thought, Black Heart charged straight towards Ryou with killer intent, preparing her sword to bisect the young man.

"Oh no you don't!"

*SWISH**CLASH*

"Wha!?" Just as it seemed she hit her mark, out of nowhere Black Hearts attack was halted by a familiar looking rapier, blocking her from the side, with Ryou mere inches away with a satisfied smirk.

"Took you long enough, princess." Ryou said. Looking to her side, Black Hearts eyes widened when she spotted Noire at her right side, effortlessly blocking her sword all the while glaring at her, her eyes sporting a newly found fire.

"You know what, he's right. Haa!"

*CLANG*

Before the goddess could process what just happened, Noire pivoted her blade and struck upwards, knocking Black Heart broadsword clean out of her hands and held her own sword to her CPU counterparts throat as the broadsword landed from afar. The two of them simply stared at eachother, the tables being completely turned as it is now Noire staring down Black Heart.

"*sigh* Look, I'm not going to deny what you said earlier. Sure, while Uni is pretty skilled on her own and a very hard worker, she still has some more growing up to do before she could take my place as CPU, and even then it's probably going to be a long time coming. It's not like I'm being hard on her just for the sake of it or I don't care about her, far from it actually. I just want her to become as strong as she can so she could not only properly look after Lastation when I do eventually step down, but so she could stand beside me as an equal instead of just living in my shadow."

"...So you noticed?" Black Heart asked.

"How could I not? She's been working so hard just to get my attention that it was practically impossible not to see it. It's something both she and Nepgear sort of share."

"That said, don't think for a moment that I'm just going to drop my duties on her so carelessly. I'm not going to step down that easily. Not without a good reason. It's just that... it's just really hard sometimes you know."

"Noire..." Ryou looked to her as she continued to speak whilst lowering her sword from Black Hearts throat.

"As you said, I've been doing this for years, and considering how long we CPUs live, it's been for a very long time. I guess it's just the stress of ruling a nation, but there were times where I felt like I was just wasting my time. Hell, there were even rare occasions where I just wanted to quit outright. A whole nation and its people were solely on my shoulders, and sometimes I felt like no matter how hard I worked, how great I appear to be, they were for nothing. That's why I took up some hobbies in secret, so I could keep up my appearance while trying to relieve some of the stress."

"Not only that, but despite what others say, I DO in fact want to make friends. For a long time even. It's just that I really don't know how... though a certain someone saying I'll never have any friends doesn't exactly help."

"That idiot doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut. Honestly, how can she say that when you two are in fact friends?" Black Heart commented.

"Wow, when you put it that way, Nep sounds like a huge hypocrite." Ryou added.

"Tell us about it." both girls replied.

"Anyways, when it all comes down to it, I'm still a CPU. Protecting my nation and its people is my job, and I'm going to continue to do so for many years...but I'm still just going to be me. And that goes the same for you. You're who I am as a goddess, who I am to the people and sister that look up to me. When you get down to it, we are both Noire."

"...That's right."

With that statement, Black Hearts appearance started to become transparent and glow a silverish aura once again and made her way to Noire. From there, Ryou simply watched as Black Heart walked straight into her and disappeared, leaving her aura around Noire herself as she began shining brightly to the point where Ryou had to shield his eyes.

The next time he opened them, he seemed to be in an endless white void with what seemed to be data streaming around the vicinity. Looking to where Noire was, he sees that Noire had returned to her normal attire.

"Well...all that just happened." Ryou commented, not really sure of what else to say.

"Yeah..." Noire uttered, albeit timidly. Before long, she simply walked up to Ryou, never breaking her gaze from his own and stood right in front of him.

"Noire?"As he simply stood there, Noire brought a hand up and gently cupped his cheek and gave him a charming smile, which left him more than a little confused and flustered. Even though as far as they were concerned, they've done what they needed to do, and yet to him, Noire is still acting pretty unlike herse-

*YANK*

"OW!" only for Noire to sudden pinch and tug on his cheek while giving him an intimidating stare complete with blush, confirming that she is now back to her normal self.

"OK, I'm going to get the elephant out of the room and say that if you DARE tell anyone what happened in here, I will make sure you are banned from Lastation for the rest of your days! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now can yo- ACK! Damnit, stop pulling on my cheek!"

"And just so we're clear, I only went on that d-d-date with you only to get this done and find Uni and Nepgear. T-There is nothing between us, PERIOD!"

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT ALREADY I GET IT! DON'T GET YOUR PANTIES IN A KNOT!" Ryou yelled out as he somehow escaped from Noire iron grip, with the tsundere goddess crossing her arms and huffing in embarrassment and annoyance.

While rubbing his cheek, He attempted to say something to her, but in an instant, a small screen appears out of nowhere between them, with what seems to be binary code scrawled all over it. The two of them raised an eyebrow in what's going on, but eventually it all clears away, revealing a message for the two of them.

[GODDESS CORE DIVE COMPLETE]

[LINK TO CPU BLACK HEART CONNECTED]

[RYOU AYUMU HAS LEARNED: LIGHTNING CHAIN]

[RYOU AYUMU HAS LEARNED: PROTO INFINITE SLASH]

[NOIRE HAS LEARNED: SPEED QUEEN]

[NOIRE HAS LEARNED: SONIC SWORD]

[RYOU AND NOIRE HAVE LEARNED: VELOCITY PRIDE]

"What the hell?" They both called out, but all of a sudden, they both held there heads in pain for a moment, as if a rush of information came straight to there minds all at once. The pain quickly subsided as they simply shook it off, but before they could question what just happened, the screen displayed a single message:

[PROCESS COMPLETE. NOW LOGGING OUT]

As soon as the message was sent, the screen disappeared and Ryous vision begins to warp and twist, as if his very consciousness was being pulled along by something. As it became more distorted, for an instant, Ryou had a vision.

It showed an old, abandoned factory with a lake nearby. From a distance, Ryou could see Planeptune, the Nep Tower sticking out a very sore thumb. His vision goes to into the factory, and from within he could see what he needs to see. He spots 5 individuals in a single, mostly empty room. two of them are Nepgear and Uni, tied up and restrained in the very back. The other three individuals are who he assumes are there kidnappers, though instead of wearing robs and masks, he could see exactly what they all look like.

To the left-most part was a short and lanky teenager leaning on what seems to be a pile of scrap metal, texting on a clamshell phone while wearing a really bored expression. He has unkempt orange hair, light skin, a long sleeved black shirt under a white dress shirt, green skinny jeans and white sneakers. His eyes seem to be closed for whatever reason, but Ryou didn't seem to care.

To the right most part was a heavy-set body builder guy at least Yamatos height, laying down on his right side taking a nap on a mostly destroyed mattress. He had blonde hair mostly tied into a pony-tail, bushy eyebrows, rough light skin, wears a black and grey sleeveless hoodie with matching track shorts and white sneakers.

The one that really stood out to him was the one in the center of the room, seemingly guarding Nepgear and Uni. Stoicly sitting seiza-style is a young woman in her mid to late teens with soft, white skin, has "finely textured" golden hair as if it were from a lions mane, with two bangs hanging off each side of her face and a unique braid that goes around the back of her head with a blue ribbon tying it all together. Her near flawless features displays elegance, sternness and pride, and her figure, while slight muscular, is also slender and curvy in all the right places, sporting C-cups and what some might consider "child-bearing hips". she wears a long-sleeved white blouse with a blue ribbon tied around the collar as well as cuffs around her wrists, a knee long navy blue skirt that covers her abdomen, black stockings and brown hiking boots.

("That has to be that bitch Ryuko.") He thought to himself as she simply sat there, her oriental sword laying in front of her in its sheath, as if she is waiting for anyone to dare step forward. She sat just sat there, still as a statue, as if she wasn't even breathing. Then, before he knew it, she opened her eyes and looked as if she were staring straight at him.

"*GASP*!" This is itself creeped him out to no end, however that wasn't what really got him startled.

...It was actually the color of her eyes that got him riled up.

("They're the same as mine. The same as any LOGIN agent!") Ryou thought as the vision came to an end as his own faded to black.

"Uuugh." Groggily opening his eyes, Ryou found himself lying on his side on the floor where he was when the dive started.

"Welcome back you two." Pushing himself off the floor to his feet and rubbing his head, he turned to his head towards Histoire who actually seemed very glad. To the side of her, he could see that Kei was still stoically sitting on top of Neptune, who still has a bandage over her mouth and looks very bored.

"Yeah well, that was a trip at least. So what the hell happened while we were diving?" He asked as he heard Noire groaned and follow suit.

"Yeah, how long have we been out?" Noire asked as well.

"Not for very long. You two simply stood still with a colorless aura around you for a good few minutes before you two collapsed on the floor and woke up not long after." Kei explained.

"Aw, good. for a minute there I thought we were out for a few hours."

"Mmmhpfmpmmfhmmphphmmf." ("If you two did, my poor little arms would've fell asleep with Kei on them.") Neptune tried to interject, but once again the bandage muffled her voice. Noticing this, Kei reached for it and quickly ripped it off of Neptune. Without skipping a beat, Neptune yelped and jumped in pain, launching Kei into the air. Thankfully the Lastation Oracle skillfully landed a few inches from where she was without incident.

"Nepu! Geez Kei, don'tcha think you could have been a little more gentle with that!?" Neptune yelled at her, but Kei simply shrugged in response.

"Regardless..." Histoire spoke up, getting everyones attention. "Let us get straight to the point. Noire, Ryou, did either of you see anything?" Histoire inquired, wanting to get on with the rescue operation as soon as possible.

"Yes we did, and I know exactly where they are too." Noire answered, with Ryou raising an eyebrow in her direction, noting that she might've saw the same vision as he did.

"Truly? That is splendid to hear."

"Yeah. Hey Neptune?"

"What up, Noire?"

"Do you remember that old factory you and Compa went to when you two first met?"

"Oh! Do you mean the tutorial dungeon from the very first game in the series? Man that place takes me back."

"Well, that's where they're at right now. And there kidnappers are keeping guard."

"No foolin'? Well what are we standing here for? Lets roll out Ryou." Neptune called as she marched on out of Noires room.

"Wait! I'm coming too." Noire called out before the purple goddess could step, prompting her to make a complete 180 on her heel and look to the tsundere as if she were crazy.

"Wha!? Oh come on Nowa! You've already got your time with Ryou, now let me have mine!" Neptune protested, causing Noire to blush up a storm and both Oracles in he background to facepalm.

"T-That's not what I'm talking about! I'm just going to make sure Uni gets back safe, so don't get the wrong idea!"

("Wow, way to make yourself sound convincing Noire.") Ryou thought, somehow keeping that comment in his head.

"But are you sure about that? Aren't you tired from the dive?" Kei asked plainly, but even Ryou could detect some worry for her CPU in her tone.

"No actually. In fact, I feel the best that I've been in months!"

"Good. Then that means the Dive was a complete success." Histoire chimed in, as Ryou casually walked past her and made his way out the room.

"Alrighty then. The Dive turned out OK, we now know where those pricks are keeping the Candidates and I'm ready to whoop some ass. So, you two ready to head out?" Ryou turned to ask the CPUs.

"For once, I agree with you Ryou. It about time we get going. I want to personally thrash those kidnappers myself."

"Same here. Time to save our awesome little sis' and kick some bad-guy booty!"

"Then we shall wait for you all at Planeptunes Basilicom. Please do be careful."

"Will do Histoire." He answers the Oracle as he turned to Neptune and Noire as he clenched his fist in front of his face.

"Alright ladies...It's hero time!"


	12. Winds Of Change

Authors Note ( Mr DxD) Let's address the elephant in the room, this chapter is OVERKILL. Regardless I'm just hoping you guys don't get overwhelmed by it. For the future I promise to not let things get this long.

(Twilightiger): since this is the last chapter to the prologue of this story, I'd say it's time to give some of our OCs, both current and up-coming, some voices. Consider this the unofficial voice list for them, as neither of us agreed on a permanent voice for some of these guys(some input from you guys would be very appreciated). But I digress. Here's the list and enjoy this beast of a chapter. Also, be advised, this one is ridiculously long, so be sure you have a drink and a couple snacks on standby.

Ryou Ayumu: Josh Grelle ( DxD's personal choice, Twilight chewed my ass out for this lmao :) )

Yamato Kisaragi: Lucas Gilbertson

Shunsuke Idachi Date (Sid): Chris Edgerly

Mitsuo Akumu: Troy Baker

Hideyoshi Kusanagi: Christopher Sabat

Hazama Kujo: Mark Hamill or John Michael Tatum

Yoshiro Makoto: Vic Mignogna

Ryuko: Kari Wahlgren

Hikaru Yoshino: Jesse McCartney or Amy Palant

Byakuya Ryugami(SPOILER): Christopher Niosi

* * *

After Ryou successfully dived into Noire and found the location of Nepgear and Uni as well as there kidnappers, The two of them and Neptune didn't waste anytime to hustle back to Planeptune to the Old Retro Factory, with The goddesses taking the skies and Ryou Accelerating on land as The Oracles went to Planeptunes Basilicom to wait for there return.

Fortunately, they were able to spot the factory relatively easy (thanks due in part to Neptunes fourth-wall busting memory), so the trio made haste and entered the factory.

"Aaaah. Now this really takes me back. This is the place where this series first took off. The old rusty design, the 8-bit music playing in the background, all we need are random encounters and it would feel like we're doing the series over again. Good times, good times."

*BONK*

"OW! Watcha do that for Noire?"

"Neptune, now is not the time to be taking a stroll down memory lane. So lets hurry up, save our sisters, apprehend there kidnappers and go home already!"

"Alright, alright. No need to get your panties in a knot, Noire. Geez, see this is why you don't have any friends."

"Say that again!"

"Ahahahah!" Neptune laughed as she poked fun at Noire, subtly breaking the ice in there relatively tense situation.

"Hey, now that I think about it, where did Ryou go?"

"Huh?" Noire raised an eyebrow and looked around the area, only to see that the LOGIN agent is nowhere to be found. "Wait, where did he go?"

"Yo, slowpokes! Don't fall too far behind!" hearing his voice ring within the factory, the CPUs trailed it to the source, only to find Ryou very far ahead of them down the corridor, casually walking on ahead.

"What the-Hey! You get back here Ryou!"

"Wait up you big meanie!" they both yelled as they high-tailed onward to catch up with Ryou.

After a fair bit of dungeon crawling and stomping out some stray Dogoos (in Ryous case, literally), they managed to make there way to what seems to be a pair of rusted, metal double doors in the very back of the dungeon.

"Hmm, if my main character memory serves me right, this is supposed to be where Compa and I first fought the Guard Vermin. Man, looking back to that, that thing was pretty creepy for a first boss." Neptune said, shuddering at the memory of the eight-legged menace of a first boss.

"Then that means your sisters and those mid bosses are behind this door, heh alright hero time." Ryou said as he casually walked to the door, preparing his sword to slice it in two.

"Wait, hold on a second." Noire spoke up.

"Huh?" Ryou turned on his heel and both he and Neptune looked to her in confusion.

"What's up Noire? Gettin' cold feet?"

"Hmph! As if. I'm just saying if we charge in without a plan, we might end up in a trap, or worse getting Nepgear and Uni killed. Lets at least scope out the situation before we go gung-ho, alright?"

"Whatever you say boss lady." Ryou responded coolly as he sheathed his sword. Noire then proceeded to walked to the door, take a knee and looked through what seemed to be a small peaky-hole in the middle. taking her lead, Neptune and Ryou took to each side and looked through it with her.

As they see through the hole, the scenery within the room is as exactly as Ryou saw it in his vision. The short one with orange hair was leaning on a pile of junk to the left, the the body builder was sleeping on a destroyed mattress to the right, and Ryuko is sitting seiza-style in the very middle, with the captured Candidates tied up right behind her in the back of the room, Nepgear looking forlorn and Uni actively, yet quietly trying to break out of her bindings.

"It looks like they're waiting for something. A Pickup maybe?" Ryou questioned.

"Could be. Wouldn't surprise me." Noire replied.

"Man, these guys must've been in here since last night. I'm surprised they didn't do the thing just to pass time. *Gasp* Did they have there way with Uni and Nep Jr then? Oh, I'm gonna beat them up if they did!" Neptune babbled as her hidden big-sis instincts kicked in, earning a questioning glare from both her fellow CPU and LOGIN agent that basically spells "Really Nep/Neptune?"

"Haaa, anyways, do you have a plan Ryou?" Noire asked, intentionally leaving Neptune out as she knows anything Neptune comes up with is always a bad idea.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Neptune yelled, prompting Noire to put her hand to her mouth to keep it shut so as to not alert the enemies.

"Well, I've got one. Do either of you got a shovel or something like that?" Ryou asked. Noire turned her questioning gaze to him this time as a light-bulb somehow popped and lite-up above Neptunes head, leading her to slide away from Noire and stand a fair distance from the two of them.

"I've got just the thing. Gimme a sec." Neptune proclaimed as she casually reach from under her hoodie dress, earning a faint blush from Ryou and Noire glaring at him.

After a bit of rummaging and some teasing moans, Neptune seemed to grasp onto something long and hard and proceeded to yank it out from under her, revealing to be... a giant metal hammer almost as big as Neptune.

"Tada! Behold, the "Planet Hammer", a hammer for all of your smashing needs. Haven't used this bad boy in a long time!" Neptune proclaimed proudly. Noire just gave her a blank stare while Ryou eyes just twitched as he looked between Neptune and the hammer she pulled out of her. How she managed to pull that thing out of her panties is beyond him.

"...Uh, yeah, that'll work." Ryou deadpanned.

"Wha? What's with the deadpan...Oh, I see *giggles*. Wanna take a little tiny peak? It's free of charge~." Neptune flirted as she swayed her hips and tried to lift up her skirt.

"Grrr! Neptune!" Noire growled in annoyance and slight jealously(?) over Neptunes latest antic.

"Just shut up and give me the goddamn hammer already." Ryou simply stated as he held a hand to his face, trying his best not to blush up a storm, but is obviously failing.

* * *

"*YAAAAAAAWWN!* Man, when the hell's the convoy gonna get here? I'm so bored I'm about to fall asleep." Ken said as he leaned onto a pile of scrap, all the while flipped through every inch of his phone, exhausting all the games he had on there. Even the old Solitaire game that comes pre-installed.

"If you are that exhausted, then why don't you join Hagane over there? I'm sure that bed will support you both." Ryuko answered without moving from her spot or opening her eyes.

"And get squashed as he turns around? Hell no. Besides, do you hear him snoring over there?"

*SNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRREEE!*

"...Point proven. Then just bare with it for a little longer. The convoy should be here any moment."

"Tch. Whatever you say. Though I don't understand how you can stay sitting like that for hours on end. I mean aren't your legs dead asleep or something?" Ken asked, attempting to make some small talk to pass the time.

...though in hindsight, making small talk with a normally stoic and serious woman like Ryuko is almost akin to talking to a brick-wall.

"Practice and patience my companion." Ryuko stated plainly.

"Tch. Well patience isn't really my thing then."

"Obviously."

"Still though, I gotta admit, with how you present yourself, I'm surprised you haven't found yourself a man yet Ryuko...especially with those killer hips and fine legs, eheh."

"Would you like me to impale you with extreme prejudice for that comment?"

"Uh, no, I'd like to keep on living for a while thank you very much."

"That's fine then."

"...Ugh, geez. I can't believe these are the guys that kidnapped us. This is just humiliating in more ways than one." Uni said under her breathe.

"Unless you no longer wish to have a tongue Lady Black Sister, I advise that you keep your comments to yourself." Ryuko called to her, clearly hearing her voice in the open room. Uni clicked her tongue and remained silent as she casted her gaze to Nepgear.

She herself looks as if she's given up completely, and upon catching Uni looking at her, she turned her head in the opposite direction. Whether its from discomfort or betrayal, that's open for debate, but what Uni does know is that within a matter of seconds before there kidnapping, she all but destroyed what they had, all because of a kiss that was a spur of the moment.

Ashamed and disheartened, Uni merely looked down to her feet, feeling an immense amount of regret over her careless actions...and of anger at the one she thinks start all of thi-

*KNOCK**KNOCK**KNOCK*

Everyone in the room, aside from the sleeping Hagane, looked straight at the rusted door upon hearing the sudden knocking.

"Is that the convoy? Ugh, freakin' finally!" Showing complete disregard over who it actually is, Ken closed his phone and made his way to the door, with Ryuko eyeing the scene carefully as she slowly reached for her sword.

Under normal circumstances, she would at least warn her allies of an obvious trap, but after that rather lewd remark earlier, she decided to let things play out while being on her own guard.

As Ken made his way to the door, he popped his neck and other joints, showing discomfort for staying in one place for a long time. As soon as he approached it and placed both hands on the doors, he spared no time pushing them open with all his might. As soon as he opened them...

"...'sup."

"OH SHI-!"

*WHAM!**CRASH!*

Before Ken could get out of the way, his face was intimately introduced to a steel hammer ramming straight at it, sending him flying straight into the scrap-heap he was just leaning on. The instant that happened, Ryuko quickly drew her blade from its scabbard and leaped backwards right in front of the Candidates in an offensive position.

"ASS! TITTIES! Ugh, what the hell was that!?" Hagane violently woke up from his nap after Ken was launched.

"Howdy! Did ya guys miss me?" Ryou hollered as he strut his way into the room with the Planet Hammer sitting comfortably on his shoulder.

"R-Ryou!?" The instant she saw his figure, Nepgear got out of her funk and called out to him in surprise.

"The hell!? What are you doing here?" Uni asked, both irritated and frustrated that Ryou was the one that came for them.

"I'm here to save you two, that's what. Wouldn't be much of a hero otherwise, hehe." Ryou shot back to them with his usual smirk.

"Aw shit, it's that guy from yesterday! How the hell did he find us!?" Hagane roared as he finally got up from the mattress.

"Urrg. OK, I'll admit that was a nice shot, but man that was smarts." Ken groaned as he held his nose and got up from the heap of rubble he was in.

"So you have found us, Ryou Ayumu. I'm actually quite surprised that you located us by yourself." Ryuko commented.

"Yeah, well, he's not alone if that's what you're thinking." Noire spoke up as she walked from behind Ryou.

"Yo! What up peeps?" Neptune piped up as she casually strolled from the other side.

"Neptune!"

"Noire too!" Both candidates called out, now fully relieved that at least both there older siblings came as well.

"Well crap, the CPUs are here too." Ken moaned.

"That's right, and I think I speak for all three of us when I say we are just dying to kick your sorry butts." Ryou proclaimed as he and the elder CPUs walked towards them.

*THUD*

"Ack!"

"Nepu!"

"Huh?" Ryou turned around to see both girls rubbing there faces as if they ran into a wall. "Hey, what's up with you two?"

"Nothings wrong, but just what was that?" Noire asked.

"Yeah, it was like someone put an invisible wall right in front of us." Neptune added as she tried to walk forward...

*THUD*

"Ouchies." Only for her to literally hit her head on nothing.

"Wait, what the...!?" Noire trailed off as she walked in front of Neptune.

"*Snickers*... I can't believe she fell for that twice." Ryou could hear one of the kidnappers laughing from behind and whispering to his compatriots.

Going back to Noire, she reached her hand out in front of her...only for her hand to be pressing against what seems to be some sort of invisible barrier.

"Huh!? What the hell is this!?"

"Nepu! There really is an invisible wall here?"

"C'mon, quit screwing around you two. This isn't really-"

*Whistle*

Ryou turned around upon hearing one of the Candidates captors whistle to him, only to see Ken holding a small yet intricate looking device in his hand that was colored black and neon blue, all the while giving Ryou the ever so loved troll face.

"Yeah, I don't wanna bore you with the specifics, so long story short, this device in my hand puts up a barrier around the room preventing CPUs or anything of the like from entering. Think of it like an Anti-CPU Field. Got it memorized, soldier boy?" Ken explained before Ryou could question him.

"What!? How the hell did you all get your hands on something like that?" Noire inquired. No one has ever even heard of, much less attempted to make a device specifically to use against CPUs, which alone got her up in arms as to who they might be dealing with.

"Tsl, tsk, tsk. Not telling~." Ken taunted while waving his finger at Noire.

"HA! So much for your backup, little man! It's just you and us now! Hey, Ryuko, wanna get in on this!?" Hagane yelled to there leader, who simple kept her position in front of the Candidates.

"You two may do as you will. I'll stand guard." She replied without skipping a beat.

"Suit yourself. More fun for us then! Right Ken?"

"Looks like it." Ken replied as the two of them stepped forward and tossed the device to Ryuko for safe keeping.

"So wait, we're just going to stand here while Ryou gets all the action? Man, this really sucks. I mean seriously, are the authors trying to make us into cheerleaders? 'Cause I sure don't see any pom-poms lying around." Neptune complained.

"Ugh! Would you stop breaking fourth wall for a second and take this seriously for once!?" Noire snapped at the purple air-head, with Ryou rolling his eyes at the antics of the two goddesses behind him.

"Tch, well looks like I'm flying solo. Oh well, I'll just whoop these guys around, get some revenge and save the day." Ryou proclaimed as he stepped forward to face his combatants.

"Oh, ya sure about that? It's still the three of us against you, and considering how badly Ryuko curb-stomped you yesterday, I'd say you should take your chances and go." Ken warned him, but Ryou simply waved it off.

"Yeah well todays a new day and I'm raring to go, so don't get ahead of yourself. I'm on a rescue mission, and I'm not gonna stop until it's done. Besides that, as much as those two annoy me, I've got a promise to keep to there sis' over there, so you guys better hand them over, or things are going to get messy." Ryou warned the trio, with Kensuke and Hagane in front of him, and Ryuko spectating and guarding the two bounded candidates.

("Why that cocky son of a...!") Uni thought to herself looking furiously at Ryou.

"Oh really now? Well, hate to disappoint you bud, but we're not here to negotiate. To be honest, I hate following orders like these, especially since you seem like a pretty cool guy. It's a shame...but we're gonna have to kill ya." Ken spoke before Uni could put her thoughts into words, dropping his usual laid-back tone in favor for a surprisingly threatening one.

"Ha! Go ahead and try punk! I'm practically A-Class material, so give me your best shot. Don't come crying when I kick your ass though!" Ryou rebuffed, completely unphased by the threat. In fact, he's more than happy to tear all of them a new one.

"Hehe, Then I guess I can't afford to be stupid. I've been itching to cut up some bodies, so I guess we're both in luck. That said..." He trails on as he opens his eyes.

"Geh!" Ryou flinched the instant he say the colors of those eyes. Then he looked to Hagane, then to Ryuko, and then back to Ken. No doubt about it, they was the same color as his own...the eyes of a LOGIN agent.

"Why don't you just disappear!"

*SWISH*

"Ryou, heads up!" Neptune warned him as something came out of no where and darted straight for Ryou, aiming for his neck.

"Haa!"

*CLANG*

However, due to his heightened senses and speed, he pulled out his sword in the nick of time and parried it with ease. When the object hit the ground, Ryou saw that it looked like some sort of decorated silver knife.

"Oooh, nice one. You got rid of that pretty easily." Ken taunted.

"Well I am a part of LOGIN for a reason. If you think a little knife will do me in, then you're probably dumber than Nep over there."

"Heeeeey!"

"Hehe. You have no idea how much shit you're in for pal...May I show you?"

"What are you-"

"STREAM FIELD!"

"Whoa!"

"Nepu!"

"...The hell!?" Within a matter of moments, a large number of knives form a spiral like pattern up and down his arms as well as his body. Ryou was a little taken aback at the display.

"Surprised, soldier boy? This here is my weapon of choice. Pretty sweet huh? It may not be the strongest or most durable knife in the drawer, but it's a lot more useful than your modern kitchen knife, since I can make a ton of them at a time and easily remake any broken ones. 666 in total. Translation, I have 666 copies of the same weapon."

"Wait, aw crap, that means..."

"You got it! As long as one is still intact, I can recreate them all in an instant. Unless you can destroy every last one of them in one attack, you're pretty much SOL. That said, I think its time to do what we do." Ken simply waved his hand around as more daggers to his side, aiming straight at Ryou.

"Devils Dance!'" With a swift motion of his hand, a large number of daggers launch through the air and head towards Ryou like speeding arrows.

"Tch! Acceleration!" His instincts going wild, Ryou activated his ability and began parrying wave after wave of daggers that came at him at blinding speeds. However, even though he can easily see each dagger, he can't stop all of them. Ryous normal fighting style is either rushing down his opponent or doing hit and run tactics. Hence forth, since he is trapped standing in one place like this, he can't dodge the attacks that managed to slip through.

"Tch!" As of now, Ryou is wincing in pain as some of the daggers slipped through and manage to cut him around his body. The CPUs and there sisters could only watch as he was slowly being cut up from the assault.

"Hey! You're gonna die if you keep this up. Try and stop the next volley!" The next barrage comes right off the heels of the next, not even giving Ryou the chance to breath, much less escape with Acceleration.

("Damn it! I gotta do something fast, otherwise I'm going to get filleted here!") Ryou thought to himself as he continued to parry each that came, making sure to protect his vital areas.

("...THERE!") Within an instant, a small window of space appeared between a set of volleys. Wasting no time, Ryou side-dashed out of the way and finally ran straight towards Ken with his sword upraised.

"Heh. Stubborn bastard aren't we?"

Ryou inched closer towards his opponent, as Ken launched several more daggers toward him. Due to the amount of speed and momentum Ryou gathered, he somehow managed to dodged some and shrugged off the others and he was not face to face with the mysterious candidate-napper.

"RRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" But before he could land a blow, he sensed something coming from his right and back stepped just in time. However, the landing blow was enormously powerful and sent a shock-wave where it landed, sending Ryou flying a bit before skidding to a stop.

"Ryou!"

"Hey, watch ou-!" Before either Nepgear or Uni could get a word out, a sword came straight down between the two, startling both candidates. Looking up, they saw that the sword belonged to Ryuko.

"Move one inch and I'll end your lives here." Ryuko said with just the right amount of ice in her tone. Considering there circumstances, the threat was very much real. So Nepgear stayed silent and Uni begrudgingly did the same.

"Hey! You better watch it over there!"

"Yeah, you touch a single hair on there pretty heads and we're going to beat you up!" Noire and Neptune called out after seeing Ryuko threaten there lives.

"Neither of you are in any position to be making threats." Ryuko replied coldly, knowing that they can't even reach Ryou, much less there sisters with the barrier up.

"Grah! Man, you really know how to hog all the fun Ken!"

"And you're still pretty impatient Hagane?" The two of them talk as Ryou got back up from his daze.

"Man, just what the hell wa- HOLY SHIT!" When Ryou looked toward the assailants, he was shocked to see that not just the fact that it was the other one that caused the shock-wave, but rather he was shocked at how enormous his weapon is. Even from their current position, Both purple and Lastation sisters were shocked at what they're seeing.

Hagane was wielding and enormous black, white and green oblong shaped axe that easily dwarfs his own body. The fact that he could even carry that thing was an achievement in itself, but if that wasn't enough, Hagane was apparently wielding it back-handed. Its weight alone causes the earth beneath him to split and crack, and yet he wields it with such ease.

"Hey, don't judge me! When I saw you two fighting just now, I couldn't help but want to crush him. Granted, I wanna make that lastation bitch over there into a bloody pancake, but that guy looks a lot more worth my time!" Hagane stated, earning him a death glare from Noire.

"*snickers* Bahahahahaah!" Though out of nowhere, Neptune just bursted out laughing, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

"Huh? The hell is she laughing about?" Ken asked.

"Hahaha! Geez, talk about an improbable weapon. Not even Blanc can use an axe that big." Neptune laughed out, as Noire was silently wondering both at how Neptune could stay cheerful in moments like these and how he could even carry that thing on his shoulders.

"Are you trying to compensating for something carrying that big mother around?" Ryou insulted.

"Heh! Who needs compensation or whatever. The rule of life for me is "Bigger is always better", so the bigger things are, the stronger they are. With me and my partner here, you don't stand a chance short-stack!" Hagane replied, all the while jabbing at his axe as he effortlessly placed it on his shoulder.

"...Let me guess: You're from Leanbox?" Ryou asked.

"Damn straight!" Hagane gleefully answered.

"That explains a lot." Noire added in, knowing full well where that kind of mentality came from, with a certain busty blonde CPU coming to mind.

"Alright, you've had your fun Ken! Now let me crush this skinny little boy!"

"Fine, I'll let you have a turn pal. Just make sure to leave some for me alright?"

"ALRIGHT! ABOUT TIME!" Ryou was once again caught off guard when he saw that the space around Hagane began to distort and change color as he screamed on the top of his lungs.

"Nepu! Yell any louder why don'tcha?" Neptune complain as she and Noire covered there ears from Haganes screaming.

"So, you ready ya small weakling!" Hagane threatened as he got into a fighting stance, looking like he is in complete control over the giant axe he wields.

"Ha! I was born ready pal! I'll have both your heads in my hands in a heartbeat!" Ryou boasted as he readied himself, although in reality he was still a little fatigued both from his dive into Noire and his earlier bout from Ken.

"Then here I come little man!" Completely betraying his expectations, Hagane launched himself swiftly at Ryou, swinging down on him with incredible force.

"That won't work a second time!" However, with acceleration still in effect, Ryou dodged the attack just as fast, effectively getting out of the way of the blow.

*CRASH*

While the impact was massive and the area of effect it has was the same, it's aim was poor, and it seems not even Hagane can fully master his battle axe, as the impact would've killed Ryou instantly if it was more accurate.

"Not yet!"

*CRASH*

However, he does not halt his attack as he immediately pulls out his weapon and delivers another earth shattering blow.

"GGRRAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

*CRASH*

Another blow with all of his might cause the ground in the factory to quake as the spectators struggled to stay on there feet. As if trying to rend the air itself asunder, Hagane continues to launch devastating blows that Ryou swiftly dodges with ease. However, much like with Ken, Ryou knows he can't keep it up forever, and tries to find an opening within the massive hit radius.

*CRASH*

Hagane on the other hand doesn't even looked winded and continues to swing his axe as if it were weightless, and another blow destroys yet another section of the earth upon impact. Each successive blow is heavier than the last and is fast enough to not leave enough room for counter-attacks. The power of his blows exceed what would be necessary, but it only continues to rise. The succession of blows is like a relentlessly fluid storm of steel.

"Well! Time to to upgrade the tension! Get really little man, cause I'm going to end this in the next blow!" Hagane proclaimed as his next blow caught up with Ryous current location. Instead of dodging as usual, Ryou just stood perfectly still as the giant battle axe landed where he was.

*CRASH*

"Ryou!" Nepgear yelled out as she and the other girls witness him getting crushed. Though as no one else looked, it would seem that Ryuko turned her head away and closed her eyes as the blow was struck...Though much to there surprise, just as the smoke cleared, Haganes shoulder got slashed as they saw blood spurt out from the wound.

"Huh? How!?"

"...Heh, meathead." Hagane shrugged off his injury and turned around, only to see Ryou, not only unscathed, but his sword was now upraised to strike Hagane again.

*SWISH*SWISH*SWISH*

"GEH!" Only for him to side-step out of the way at the last moment when daggers came flying in his direction.

"Wha? Forget about me?" Ken asked as he played around with his daggers, putting at least three of them between each of his fingers.

"2 on 1 then? Well, things are gonna get fun at least." Ryou laughed as he got into position and charged on ahead as Hagane did the same, with Ken providing cover fire with his knives. Ryou skillfully dodged and parried the on-coming knives as Hagane lunged for him and brought his axe straight down. In response, Ryou moved to the side and jumped just as the axe hit the ground, and landed straight on top of the axe itself, digging it further into the ground as he swung his sword at Haganes throat.

Seeing this, Hagane let go of his axe and leaned his entire torso backwards to narrowly dodge Ryous sword, just barely grazing his chin in the process, and allowing a small volley of knives to come Ryous way. Ryou jumped out of the way in time and rushed towards Ken as Hagane was getting his axe out of the ground, with Ken himself taking three knives in each hand to block Ryous overhead slash, just barely managing to keep him at bay. However, Ryou quickly gained the upper hand and managed to send Ken flying a ways from him, just in time to block Haganes incoming attack from behind, putting his forearm on the flat end of his sword to cushion the impact as he himself skid across the floor. shrugging off the attacks aftershock, Ryou readied himself again as Ken got back up and Hagane is ready to brawl.

"Ugh, this is going nowhere. That idiot is having more fun fighting these guys than anything else." Noire chastised in the sidelines as she drew her sword and began striking the barrier, figuring that trying to break through it is better than standing in the sidelines like cheerleaders as Neptune said. "Hey, Neptune, help me bust this thing down!"

"Gotcha covered Noire. Planeptune CPU Neptune is on the job!" Neptune proclaimed as she pulled out her Planet Hammer out once again (How did she get that back from Ryou?) and twirled it around before settling it on her shoulder.

"Alright, stand back and Let's a-go!" She called as Noire took a quick look and backed away. Backing herself up at least one meter, and with a hop and a skip, Neptune leaped high into the air and came straight down with her Hammer straight down the barrier.

*BONG*

"Wawawawawawawawawa!" Unfortunately, upon contact with the barrier, the hammer completely bounced off the barrier without even a scratch. That and the force of the impact was so strong and sudden, it caused both Neptune and the hammer itself to shake uncontrollably until Neptune lost her grip and let go of the hammer. Before she could do anything else, the hammer, still vibrating, began to somehow digging its way down into the ground until only the hammer head was still visible.

"Nepu! My Planet Hammer evolved into a Planet Jackhammer!" Neptune gasped in surprise as Noire simply face-palmed right beside her fellow CPU.

"Geez, you are just completely useless sometimes." Noire sighed as she shook her head, with there younger sisters watching from the other side of the room, could only sweat-drop at the spectacle and Ryuko to pinch the bridge of her nose.

Back to Ryou, he is now standing at a distance facing his opponents, with sweat pouring down his face and a few gashes covering his body. Even so, he did not look the least bit tired, in fact he looks like he's enjoying himself right now.

"What's wrong buddy? Getting tired already?" Ken taunted as he played with one of his knives.

"Tired? Psh, naw...this is nothing compared to what Yamato puts me through" Ryou proclaimed as his sword suddenly began sparking with electricity. With absolutely no hesitation or warning, Ryou rushed forward towards Ken, and before he could properly react, Ryou slashed at him twice at high-speeds before jumping into the air and dive-kicking Ken in the face, launching him straight towards Hagane and pushing them both back.

"Hey! Watch it Ken!"

"Ugh, you're gonna pay you that yo- huh?" Before Ken could finish his threat, he spotted Ryou facing his back to them and raising his left hand and pressed his thumb on his index and middle fingers.

"Heh, losers. Lightning Chain!"

*SNAP*

With a snap of his fingers, multiple lightning slashes came raining down on the unsuspecting kidnappers, both slashing and electrocuting them. After the attack finished, both Ken and Hagane were groaning in pain and standing completely still, clearly paralyzed from the attack.

"OK, I'll be honest, I don't know how I did that, but that was freakin' awesome!" Ryou cheered, very satisfied with the result of his new attack. Everyone else however stared on in surprise and disbelief. The CPUs, Candidates, and even Ryuko were at a loss for words at what Ryou just did.

There was a slight difference to it, but there was no mistaking what that attack was. It was one of Noire signature attacks, "Tornado Chain". However, the real question on there minds is how Ryou was able to perform the attack himself.

("...Wait, could it have been from the Dive?") Noire contemplated as she recalled the screen that displayed before them just as the Dive was complete.

"Alright then! Time to finish this!" Before Noire could think any further on the subject, Ryou began a sprint towards his now paralyzed opponents, intending to finish the fight then and there. It was then that she and Neptune spotted Hagane smirking as Ryou came closer and closer to them.

"Uh-Oh! Ryou, watch out!"

"Ryou wait! It's a trap!" They tried to warn him of the in-coming threat, but...

"Graviton Press!" Just as Ryou was close enough to strike them, Hagane roared out as a purple aura began to form around him. At the same time, Ryou came to a sudden halt and felt face first onto the floor.

"Ack! Urg, what the...ugh, hell is this!" Ryou struggled to get back up on his feet. Even with his enhanced abilities, it felt as if a giant tortoise was sitting right on top of his whole body, effectively pinning him to the ground and making it a little difficult to breath.

"Well, looks like you fell for that trap hook line and sinker." Ken snarked.

"What the hell? What did they do to him?" Uni questioned, while only a little worried, she and Nepgear are both surprised at the quick change of events.

"That would be Haganes ability, Graviton Press." Nepgear and Uni turned to the swordstress keeping guard in front of them as she explained. " He can manipulate gravity within his own vicinity to pin down his opponent. The drawback to it is that he has to stay perfectly still in order to use it effectively, giving his allies time to either deal heavy damage or to outright finish off the enemy."

"...Oh, no!" Quickly realizing what Ryuko implied, Nepgear and Uni looked back onto the battlefield, with Ryou pinned down by Haganes ability and Ken casually trotted over to him, his knives at the ready.

"Guess who's the top dog now, soldier boy?" Ken taunted as she stood over the pinned down LOGIN agent.

"Go to hell!" Ryou tried to yell, but merely came out as a strained grunt.

"Sorry~. You first pal, but before that, let me give you a souvenir, something to remember me by...Take a look at this!" Ken raised his hand upwards and concentrated as a pale green light began to envelope him.

"Nero Apocalypse!" In an instance, literally every single knife he had appeared right above them, all 666 of them aiming straight down at Ryou.

"He's going to use all of them!?" Nepgear yelled.

"This is going to be an overkill." Uni said, now more than a little worried.

"Good insight kiddos." Ken called to the Candidates. "While my Streamfield does allow me to make a crap ton of these knives, these are all weak and brittle. but if I combine all of them into one..." He trailed off as all the knives began to converged and combined into one, steadily growing knife. By the time all of them merge, only one gargantuan knife stood hanging in the air aimed at Ryou like a missile.

"Nepu! Pyramid Head eat your heart out!" Neptune called out as she and Noire glared at the gigantic dagger in the air...and for some reason, Neptunes thighs begin to shudder, all the while wearing a goofy blush on her face.

"Grr! This isn't the time to be playing around Neptune! we need to break this barrier down now, otherwise he's done for!" Noire scolded as she began to slash at the barrier with a renewed vigor.

"Shoot, You're right! We gotta save our sisters and my lover now!" Neptune said as she materialized and drew her Katana and began chopping away, though they both quickly realized that there efforts are for naught.

"Hehehe. Sorry to say ladies, but this guy is off the market now. I guess you're gonna have to find a new boy-toy and new sisters somewhere else." Ken taunted.

"I can't lose here, Urg!" Ryou shouted as he continued to struggle to get up, the best he could manage was simply lifting himself off the ground by at least an inch.

"It's useless to resist, so just give up and-"

"...You talk too much Ken."

"Huh?" When Ken whips his head around to see who was talking, a sudden gust of wind flew straight above his head, cutting straight through his knife with ease. Within seconds, the giant knife split in two and shattered and fell down like glass shards.

"What!? How in the-"

*SQUELCH*

Before Ken could finish his sentence, the sick sound of metal piercing flesh rang in everyone ears. accompanied by the sounds of a thick slab of steel being dropped onto the ground. At the same time, Ryou felt himself getting much lighter, the sign that Haganes ability wore off. Taking advantage of this, Ryou quickly grabbed his sword and quickly put some distance between him and his assailants.

Ken quickly turned around, not even bothering with Ryou, and looked to see what just happened. To his shock, he saw that Hagane was standing perfectly still with his axe dropped onto the floor and a straight sword was pierced straight from behind him, right where his heart should be. The next instant, the sword was cleanly pulled out from behind as Hagane used what little energy he had left to yell in pain as he collapsed dead onto the floor. Looking up, standing above his allies corpse is...

"HUH!?"

"The hell!?" Everyone exclaimed respectively as they see his killer is none other than Ryuko, who had calmly flicked her blade to the side to wipe away the blood on it.

"R-Ryuko, what are-" Before he could finish, Ryuko rushed towards him and prepared her sword to strike him. Since his Nero Apocalypse used every last knife he had, destroying it meant that Ken was now entirely defenseless.

"Shooting Star!" Ryuko wasted no time as she seemed to gather wind into her blade and and performs a swift powerful blow onto him. Upon contact, Ken was blown literally blown straight across the room, first past Ryou, then through the junk pile, and finally colliding into the wall. Ryuko flicked her sword once again when the deed was done and faced Ryou, her form calm and composed, not showing any openings whatsoever.

"Nepu!? Did she just betray her own buddies? What the heck is going on?" Neptune asked the obvious.

"Hey, you! I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I'm telling you now, it won't work." Noire warned, but Ryuko didn't seemed to listen, or she was and decided not to answer her. As for Ryou, he kept to his guard up and glared at her.

"Hey!" Ryou opened up to speak.

"Wait one moment." but Ryuko interrupted and raised a hand forward, signalling him not to speak. "I know what you are all thinking right now, so allow me to tell you now that circumstances have merely changed."

"And you just happened to cap off your own allies?" Ryou asked.

"Hmph. Those two couldn't even be considered my acquaintances, much less my allies. They were just another pair of maggots within the other 90% of Gameindustris male populous." Ryuko answered scathingly.

"Yeouch. Not even in the acquaintance-zone? Harsh." Neptune commented.

"But you didn't have to kill them!" Nepgear called out, showing at least a hint of disgust over Ryukos cold-blooded action.

"She's right. Besides, what do you mean by 'circumstances have changed?'" Uni inquired.

("Took the words right out of my mouth.") Ryou thought to himself as Ryuko straightened herself to them.

"Then I shall get to the point. We don't have much time until the convoy arrives, so listen carefully." Ryuko proclaimed, gaining everyones attention. "As of now, I shall return the Candidates to you all unharmed."

"Whoa, seriously!?" Neptune spoke up, a bit to excited over that bit of news, though everyone else knew better.

"Wait a sec. What's the catch?" Ryou asked, earning a raised eyebrow from Ryuko.

"You seem to be sharper than you look. Yes, there is one condition."

"And that would be?"

"Touch me." Ryuko told them with a straight face while placing a hand on her chest.

"...Huh?" It took at least a good few seconds for everyone to comprehend what she just said. They were as still as statues as there expressions where completely blank. After a moment...

"EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH!?" The CPUs and Candidates each shout and ear-splitting scream, there faces each adorning a healthy shade of red. Ryou only stood there, his eyes twitching and his face basically reads "What the fuck did I just here?"

"T-T-T-TO-TO-TOUCH YOU!?" Nepgear proclaimed.

"Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell is going on here!?" Uni spoke out.

"My thoughts exactly!" Noire agreed, though her face is showing a hint of jealousy for some reason.

"NEPU! You mean to tell me that if we want our cute sis' back, you want Ryou to do ecchi things to you right here, right now!?" Neptune shouted.

"What are you all...*gasp* Oh my!" Quickly catching onto what the girls may be thinking, Ryuko covered her mouth in embarrassment, breaking her calm composure for a moment as a cute pink blush came to her normally stoic features.

"Wait, now I see what's going on here. You kidnapped our sisters just so you can Ryou all to yourself! Well sorry missy, but he's my lover and I'm not gonna share him, ya here me!?" Neptune accused.

"Wha!? Where did you come up with that load of crap!?" Noire outright face palmed at Neptunes accusation.

"Lady Purple Heart?"

"Nepu?"

"Would you like me to fetch you a plunger so you can get your head out of the gutter?" Ryuko asked, now a little annoyed at how this all devolved into.

"Guh!" Neptune flinched as if she struck her core, earning a questioning look from the Lastation sisters and even her own younger sibling.

("...what kind of shit show am I watching here?") Ryou questioned as Ryuko cleared her throat and straightened herself up.

"Now, allow me to rephrase that so it doesn't sound quite as lewd."

"Yes, please do. We don't want this idiot getting anymore ideas." Noire spoke up, jabbing a thumb at Neptune all the while.

"*ahem* What I wanted to say was that you and I shall fight one-on-one. The condition is that if you land a single hit on me, I shall forfeit the match, let down the barrier, and release the Candidates, no strings attached."

"Heh, no sweat." Ryou said with a cocky grin as the girls breathed a sigh of relief, although Uni and Noire sounded more annoyed than anything else.

"So, I just gotta hit you once?"

"Precisely."

"Well then..."

*WOOOOOSH*

Within a fraction of a second, Ryou shortened the distance between him and Ryuko and swung his blade forward in a preemptive strike.

*CLANG*

Unfortunately, Ryuko seemed to anticipate this as she expertly raised her sword to block his in the nick of time.

"A preemptive strike? I thought you had more honor than that."

"Hey, can't blame a guy for trying."

*CLASH**CLANG*

They crossed swords for a moment before pushing eachother away and gaining a fair amount of distance. For a moment, neither combatant said anything, as they both steeled themselves, ready willing and able for round 2.

"Hey, mind if I ask you something before we start?"

"Sure. You may speak."

"...Why do you have those eyes?"

"Excuse me?"

"What I mean was, why do you have the same eyes as me?"

("The same eyes as...") The CPUs took a good look at Ryuko and then back to Ryou. To there shock, they did in fact have the same glowing sky-blue eyes.

"Whoa. They really are the same!" Neptune said, genuinely surprised.

"Wait, hold on, doesn't that mean-"

"Yeah." Ryou interrupted before Noire could finish her sentence. "Those eyes are the same as mine...the same as any LOGIN agent." Ryou confirmed her suspicions, with everyone now all eyeing Ryuko.

"It would seem you're smarter than you lead yourself on to be."

"So tell me, why do you have those eyes? Are you a Deserter, a Rogue agent?" Ryou asked seriously. There was a smart part of him that was suspecting that LOGIN may actually have something to do with this, but he quickly denied it. In his mind, there is no possible way that LOGIN would actually be involved in something like this.

"Very well, I shall tell you." She said as she pointed her own sword at Ryou. "But only if you best me. After that, I shall release the Candidates and tell you what you need to know. But first..." She lowered her sword and raised her open hand, gathering wind currents into her hand.

("Wind?") Ryou thought to himself as she gathered more into her hand.

"White Wind!" Ryuko casted the wind towards Ryou, who tried to braced for impact, but soon found out that it all went around him instead of blasting him. Within moments, the wind swirled around him and all of his wounds from his previous battle began to close and heal properly as the wind soon died down when it's job was done.

"There, now you can fight me at full strength."

"Well, aren't we the honorable type."

"Better to face your opponent on equal terms than to be a coward and take them when they are vulnerable." Ryuko answered as she took a near-ward position, rotating her sword down and to her side from above.

"That didn't come out right, but still, an honorable antagonist? Huh, haven't seen one of those since ASIC." Neptune commented.

("So, she's the kind of girl that 'lives and dies by the sword'? Well, at least this'll be interesting.") Ryou thought to himself as he took steeled himself, primed and ready for round two. "Alright, if that's what you want, then I'll give you everything I've got."

"Well said, but be warned, I shall give it my all as well, so brace yourself." Ryuko warned, as the air itself seemed to be gathering right under her feet.

"Gale Force!" Upon her call, her eyes began to glow bright as the wind bursted from under her, blowing away the debris around her. From there, Ryou saw that the currents she generated have now formed a sort of sphere of silver winds around her body.

As he gazed upon the barrier around her, Ryous thoughts began drifting back to his first bout with Ryuko. When he tried to strike her, he felt something pushing his sword back as it came near her, and everytime she struck at him, it was like a strong gale was pushing him back. Now he's figured out why.

("That barrier is both a sword and a shield. Guess I'm gonna have to find a way past that.") Ryou steeled his resolve as he stood ready for there long-awaited (not really) rematch.

"Now...stand and fight. LOGIN B-Class: Ryou!"

"Right back at ya, Ryuko!"

Letting out there battle cries, both combatants kick off the ground and propelled themselves toward eachother, both using there respective abilities to cover the distance between then in less than a second.

"Doryaa!"

With a roar, Ryou swings his best slash, with the intention of ending it in the first strike.

"Haaa!"

Ryuko answers by throwing all of her weight into her sword as well.

*CLASH*

There swords clash against eachother, neither weak in force, but not enough to strike past the other. Henceforth, they are about even in terms of strength.

"Eat this!"

Ryou doesn't slow down for even an instant and whips his sword around straight at Ryukos exposed side. However...

*CLANG**CLASH*

"Gheh!"

Ryuko pivoted her sword to parry the in-coming attack, and countered with one of her own, the winds from her "Gale Force" pushing him back a fair distance away.

"You'll have to try better than that if you wish to catch me off-guard."

"Well, you never know...Until you try!"

Ryou charged forward once again, dragging his sword across the room as it started to gather electricity along the blade.

"Lightning Blade!"

When Ryuko was within range, he thrusted his sword forward to stab her. Much to his surprise, Ryuko jumped over his sword completely and by some chance, managed to balance herself on the blade. She reeled her sword back in an attempt to stab his face, but quickly jumped off of his sword as lightning came down to strike her from above.

("He's gotten much better in such a short time. It surely would've hit if I was careless. However...")

"..It's still not good enough."

Ryuko held her sword upwards and began gathering wind into her sword as if it were a small tornado. She then leaped for Ryou, preparing an overhead slash.

"Wind Scar!"

Ryuko swung down with all her might, prompting Ryou to side-step and parry her sword down to the ground. Upon doing so, he narrowly dodged three consecutive slash waves from the blade, leaving behind what looks like giant claw-marks on the ground.

("Shit. Looks like I'm gonna have to actually get serious.") Quickly gathering his thoughts, Ryou jumped backwards to gain some distance.

"...There!"

Ryuko rushed forward aiming for his chest the instant Ryou landed.

*CLASH*

"Gah!"

Using his lighting like reflexes, he managed to block her attack in time, leaving them in a sword lock.

"Do not let your guard down just because you are out of your opponents range. It may work with monsters, but range does not matter with more sentient beings or human enemies."

"What? Decided to give some friendly advice?"

"Make of it as you will."

"Yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I always do things my own way."

"Suit yourself..."

For a moment, Ryou could've swore she said something under her breath...

*CLANG*

However, he didn't have enough time to dwell on it, as Ryuko broke herself out of there lock. Not wanting history to repeat itself, Ryou charged forward to go on the offensive. Ryuko took up a more defensive stance as a result.

*CLASH**CLASH**CLANG**CLASH*

Upon closing the distance, they began crossing blades at high speed, sparks flying as the sounds of metal clashing against metal rang within the factory as the CPUs and Candidates watched on. Nepgear looked amazed at the display of power being shown, and Uni, while hesitant to admit, seemed genuinely impressed.

"Whoa! Look at those two go. This gal is definitely disc 1 final boss material, and this is only the prologue...wait." Neptune thought for a moment. "Wait, what the nep? 12 chapters and this is only the prologue!? Man, hoping the readers got themselves some snacks, cause this is going to be a long one." She said to no one in particular.

Off to the side, Noire just simply looked on, not even noticing Neptune casually breaking the fourth wall, and analyzed the battle right in front of her. While she herself has seen Ryous skills first-hand, she has to admit that despite his hot-blood and cocky attitude, he's actually a very competent fighter.

("Though I can see that this Ryuko girl isn't any slouch either. In fact, I can kind of see why he lost the last time.") She thought to herself as she watch the match intently.

Ryou is an aggressive fighter who mainly goes for fast and hard-hitting attacks while using his speed to mainly dodge on-coming attacks. At the same time, he can at least take some damage if he were to get hit, with his regenerative abilities compensating for a lack of proper defense, making him that of a Lightning Bruiser...in more ways than one.

Ryuko on the other hand seems more passive-aggressive by comparison, usually playing defensively until an opportune moment strikes and she goes in to punish her enemies. While she might not be as fast as the former, her reflexes and minds-eye make up for it, along with her barrier, defense and natural use of wind magic, she may qualify as a sort of Jack-of-all-Stats with a bit of emphasis on strength and defense.

In terms of capabilities, they both seemed evenly matched. However, the major difference in this battle is there personalities, elemental affinities and there respective fighting styles. Hence, this battle seems like a fight between an experienced mercenary and a well-trained knight.

Or to be more accurate, it seems more like a dual between a raging lightning bolt against a calm gale.

*CLANG**CLASH**CLASH*

"Guah!"

"Aah!"

Both fighters skid to a stop at least a meter from one another. Ryou doesn't look too worse for wear, even with a few gashes here and there. Ryuko on the other hand doesn't even have a scratch on her.

("Dammit! This is getting me nowhere. If only there was a way around that annoying barrier.") Ryou thought to himself as he is at least showing some signs of exhaustion.

"Have you had enough fun? I would prefer it if I don't spill anymore blood today." Ryuko asked as she flicked her sword and brought a hand to her hip.

"Tch! I ain't gonna come out of this empty handed. I'm taking them back whether you like it or not. Now I'M going to give you one warning: Get the hell out of my way, or there are going to be some consequences." Ryou threatened as he jabbed his blade straight at his opponent.

"...Why must you be so stubborn." Ryuko said as she held her head down, her bangs shadowing her face, making it impossible to see what kind of expression she has on her face right now. Once again, she says something under her breath, but Ryou couldn't hear her.

...Noire however, could read her lips perfectly fine.

("What the hell does she mean 'I don't want to fight you'?") She thought, now more than a little confused by those words.

"Very well then. If that is what you wish..."

"Yeah, that's what I wish alri-"

"Then I'm going to end this in the next attack. Brace yourself!"

Ryuko kicked off the ground and darted toward Ryou before he could finish his sentence. Gathering wind into her blade once again, she skid to a stop right in front of him as Ryou tried to dodge the in-coming. However, Ryuko was too close and her blade was aimed horizontally, so as she began swinging, he had no choice but use his sword to guard against it.

"Beast!"

*CLANG*

Unfortunately, upon contact, she slams her sword against Ryou with extreme force, and by combining the winds from her "Gale Force", Ryuko literally blew Ryou straight into the air, high above the arena, all the while creating a blast of energy in the shape of a lions head.

Without wasting time, Ryuko jumped back a fair distance and raised her sword high above her head as the wind currents both around her sword and her body began to move faster and stronger as she took aim.

"...I'm sorry Ryou. Truly I am." She whispered in a strange tone of familiarity, as she took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for the next attack.

"Storm Ruler!"

She swung her sword at her target, firing off a powerful gust of wind straight from the tip of her sword, zeroing in on Ryou as he slowly descended back to the ground.

("Shit...I can't dodge it.")

Ryou could do nothing as he was stuck in the middle of the air with no real way of dodging the in-coming blast. All he could merely do was raised his sword in front of this face and brace himself.

*BOOOOOM*

"GAAAAAAAAH!"

Upon contact, Ryou screamed in pain as the force from Ryukos attack spread across the entire room as if it were an indoor hurricane, with debris(and by extension Haganes corpse...poor guy.) flying everywhere, with both CPUs and Candidates bracing against the intense gales.

Within moment, as the room began to clear from her attack, a loud thud could be heard from within the giant smoke-cloud, signifying that Ryou had just hit the floor, causing Neptune and Noire to flinch.

"...Well that just happened. Seriously, are going to really end the prologue with another force-loss battle!? And what about Uni and Nep jr? Are they just going to be held captive until next season. Nepu, this is really sucking pudding pops right now."

"Neptune, can you knock it off for a minute and actually think of something? Ryou just got beaten and that convoy could be here any minute."

"I AM being serious. Can't you hear the worry in my cute little voice?"

"Well it's kind of hard to tell when you say things like that all the time!"

As the two CPUs began to bicker again, there sisters could only look on with blank expressions. Nepgear is filled with dread over what's going to happen next now that Ryou is knocked out and there sisters can't even get near them due to the barrier. Needless to say, she has seen much better days than this. This like Victory all over again, only now her bad luck was only a matter of bad timing and circumstances.

Uni on the other hand was both worried and annoyed at the same time, and who could blame her? There last hope rested on a hot-headed and cocky jerk and he got completely owned. If being rejected by her long-time crush wasn't enough to weaken her spirit, then this whole situation will.

As for his opponent, Ryuko just simply stood there, her bangs covering her eyes again with a stoic frown as her wind barrier died down. She took a deep breath and wiped away what seemed to be a single tear before she walked to get her sheath.

*STOMP!*

"Wha!?"

Before she could get very far however, a resounding stomp could be heard from around the room. In that instant, everyone directed there attention to its source, that being where Ryou crash-landed just now. Every occupant in the room looked straight into the smoke-cloud, which began to grow smaller and smaller as Ryous silhouette became more and more visible. Just as it was about to clear...

*WOOOSH*

"GGRRRRAAAAAAA!"

Ryou came dashing towards Ryuko at blinding speeds, catching Ryuko completely off-guard. She didn't have enough time to use Gale Force again, so she raised her sword in defense of Ryous charge.

*SQUELCH*

Only for Ryous right fist to go through Ryukos blade with the sound of steel cutting through flesh echoing throughout the room. The Goddess and Candidates could only look in shock as Ryuko could somehow barely hold back his fist as it was bleeding profusely from the blade being literally in the middle of his hand.

"How?" She asked, but Ryou did not answer her. Instead, with painful grunts, Ryou somehow graphically ripped his hand out of Ryukos blade and grasped it, ignoring the insane amount of pain involved as he seemed to prepare for an attack. But there's one thing Ryuko is wonder.

("Where is his sword?")

Thinking this, Ryuko glanced down to his left.

*BA-BUMP*

"GEH!" Her instincts flaring up, Ryuko narrowly dodged the wild sword-strike from his left, the blade merely cutting the fabric on her blouse as she jumped a few meters away from the LOGIN agent.

Gathering her bearings and her footing, she, as well as everyone else, take a good look at him. Their eyes widen in surprise at what they saw before them.

"Haaa...Haaa...Haaa..."

Ryou stood standing tall with a gaping wound across his chest, slowly trudging towards Ryuko as he placed his sword back onto his injured hand as it and his chest start to slowly heal itself. All the while, Ryou was just glaring straight at her, hatefully. As if he's trying to tell her with his eyes "I'm not going to back down, no matter what you do, so don't fuck with me".

"H-Holy crap. How is he still standing after that?" Uni whispered out. She probably knows at this point that Ryou is more than a capable fighter, but seeing him like this makes her believe that she has vastly underestimate him...not that she will ever admit it.

Everyone else's reactions were varied. Nepgear looked amazed yet a little scared at how Ryou was still standing after all of that, Noire looked both astonished and, much to even Unis surprise, very impressed, and as for Neptune... For some reason, she looked like, laughably enough, as if she ate 5 pounds of rice mixed with laxatives.

...It's Neptune. What did you expect?

"...Why? Why do you still persist on fighting?"

But Ryuko gained no answer, as Ryou was surprisingly quiet right now. But Noire noticed that something was off, not with Ryou, but with Ryuko. Her tone of voice, while it is as stoic as usual, also had an underlying tone to it. She sounded a little tense, uneasy, or even...worried.

"What could you hope to gain from being so stubborn?"

"..."

"If you continue to press on like this, it'll surely end in your death."

"..."

"Why won't you listen to reason? Why on earth would you still keep fighting for people you barely even know, even in the most dire of situations!?"

"...Do I even need a reason?"

"Huh?"

Ryuko, nor anyone else for that matter, was not prepared for that kind of answer. Before she could reply, Ryou continued speaking.

"Now, I'm not going into some big spiel about why I do what I do or give some cliche speech about doing what's right and protect the weak bullcrap that seems to be so popular these days, so I'm going to say it like it is." He goes on as he jabbed a thumb at himself and gives her a smirk. " You see this guy here? Well what you see is what you get. Just your average hero who loves to kick the crap out of bad guys. I don't need a reason to do what I do, I just gotta keep on fighting and save the day just like any hero would, plain and simple." Ryou explains plainly

"That said, I'd go on, but I think we all know that this has dragged on for a bit too long, so..." He continues to speak as he pointed his sword at Ryuko, his hand and chest being almost fully healed. "How about I finish this little round, send you packing and get those gals out of here safe and sound?"

"Ryou..." Nepgear whispered out, surprised and a little touched at his proclamation.

"*Whistle* Yep. This guy is definitely a keeper. The authors really outdid themselves with this one!" Neptune commented, now thinking about the multitude of flags he could raise with her...and is slightly drooling at the thought of the up-coming OVAs.

"...You idiot." Noire spoke, obviously annoyed at his cocky attitude despite the circumstances, but kept a well-hidden smile to herself.

"..." Uni remained silent, choosing to see what happens next, though after seeing what she saw today, her opinions on the LOGIN agent have changed...but only a little. She was still pretty irritated at how she treated them yesterday.

Ryuko only stood there silently, and while she remains stoic, anyone could tell that she was at least a little surprised at his proclamation. And soon after, as she planted her sword in front of her and looked Ryou in his eyes.

"I see. So you choose to fight on no matter the odds. Even when you become ugly, pathetic, and broken, you still continue to fight until your last breath..." Ryuko paused as she, to everyones shock, gave Ryou a warm, almost familiar smile. "Despite your arrogance, that is admirable. You have my respect." She praised him, though before he could question her, her face reverts back to her usual stoic appearance as she raises her sword from the ground and her Gale Force comes back to her, surrounding her body once more.

"However, if you truly mean to do so, then don't prove it with words, but with your sword. If you wish to move forward, you must first overcome me." She stated, getting ready to fight once more, her gaze never leaving his. Ryou closed his eyes for a moment and chuckled to himself.

"Alright then, I guess the time for talking is over now. Then..." He trailed off, as an ethereal sky-blue aura surrounds him and electricity starts running down his almost worn out sword. He opens his eyes and look into Ryukos, each of them now glowing with awesome power.

"...I guess it's time to end this."

"Indeed."

Both combatants prepare themselves, each of there wills steeled and there resolve firm. The Goddesses and Candidates could only spectate silently as they see who shall make the first move. They all know that the next move could very well decide the battle.

"Oh brilliant blade of coldest steel..." Ryou murmurs to himself, his voice eerily calm as he stand ready in front of Ryuko. There is no longer any need for words. For him, it is simple... he has to surpass his enemy in this exchange of blows.

Everything is silent and still. The atmosphere is so thick it could be cut. Nothing else could be heard but the sound of wind from within the room, both swordsman face eachother in a calm clarity, watch for one or the other to make the first move. And then, to answer the call...

...Ryou takes the first step.

(BGM playing: Mighty Wind- Fate/Stay Night)

*WOOOOOOSH*

Ryou charges forward with Acceleration, preparing to strike with everything he has. When in range, he swung his sword twice in rapid succession, drawing a beautiful X, targeting her neck.

*CLANG**CLASH*

She effortlessly parries both attacks, redirecting Ryous attacks from both sides. She tries closing the distance to strike herself. But...

*WOOOOOOSH*

"What?"

Ryou vanished from her sight as she began her swing.

"Rend the infinite darkness..." The voice coming from right behind her, she turned her whole body to face her enemy.

*CLASH**CLANG*

She managed to easily parry his attacks once again.

*WOOOOOOSH*

But he vanished once more, faster than the last time.

("He must be using Acceleration in small bursts, making it seem like he vanished.") Ryuko then concentrates as she tries to see where he went next.

"...And crush my enemies to nothing!"

"The side!"

*CLANG**CLANG*

She parries once more, though notes that his attacks are getting closer to her.

*WOOOOOOSH*

*CLASH**CLASH*

"He's getting faster!?"

From then, she continually parried any and all attacks thrown at her, as Ryou dashed around her at high speeds, gradually getting quicker and more furious with each strike. As the fight ranges on, the lightning from his blade and the winds from her barrier began to clash along with there respective owners, growing stronger and stronger as if a powerful hurricane was being produce in this very room.

Meanwhile, Ryuko was starting to get overwhelmed at the growth of speed and ferocity in Ryosu assault. She was just barely able to keep up with his attacks, some of them almost getting through her guard, but never close enough to harm her.

*CLASH**CLASH*

After another volley, the air became still as the barrage stopped. Ryuko steeled herself, listening to where he might be.

"...There!"

*CLANG*

Within and instant, she whipped around in time to block a straight-forward lunge as Ryou tried to dash straight through. Instead of dashing again, Ryou firmly stopped in place right behind her. Just as she turned to face him...

"Lets finish this!"

*CLANG*

He swiftly turned his entire body around with both hands grasping his sword and swung upwards with all of his might just as Ryuko defended herself from the on-coming attack. Much to her surprise however, his attack had so much force behind it that it sent them both flying into the air.

Ryou quickly kicked off above his opponent as he spun his sword around, gather more and more electricity into the blade. Looking down to her in mid-air as he grasped his sword and aimed it straight down to her like a javelin, Ryou gave Ryuko one final smirk before throwing his own sword at her with full force.

Trapped and with nowhere else to go, Ryuko braced herself as she gathered wind into her sword and prepared to strike at the in-coming attack, intending to break the sword before it has the chance to hit her.

"Not yet!"

*CLASH**CRACK*

As there swords collided, both wind and lightning began to violently dance about as Ryuko struggled to break the blade before it could reach her.

*CACKLE**BREAK*

With enough effort, she was able to shatter the blade, with shrapnel and electricity falling around her. Without breaking stride, she prepared another attack so she could strike while he was vunerable.

"Huh?"

The only problem was, when she looked above, he was no where to be found. In a slight panic, she looked around as she fell and quickly spotted him below on the ground, his back facing towards her. Before she could think, He raised his now healed hand outwards to his side for a moment, and just as quickly gave Ryuko a thumbs down.

"See ya."

"Wha!?"

*SLASH**SLASH**SLASH**SLASH**SLASH**SLASH**SLASH**SLASH*

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Before she could react, a vast multitude of slashes instantly zeroed in on her, tearing away at her as she screamed in pain, unable to dodge or block any of them. Just as the barrage finally ended, a giant bolt of lightning came crashing down on her from above, slamming her straight down into the ground with a satisfying explosion.

(Music Fades)

"Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa..." Ryou stood there, exhausted and sweating bullets, but nonetheless very satisfied as his smirk never left his face. He just stood there in the afterglow of his victory. The euphoria of it all was unlike any other...unless he finally becomes A-Class, in which case it's debatable. Nevertheless, he simply took a deep breath and raised his head high...and yelled.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!"

He let out one mighty roar before promptly collapsing on his back. Everyone else (that was still conscious of course) just simply watched in awe of what just happened.

"Goodness."

"Whoa..."

"Nepu. The lungs on him."

"T-That attack...It couldn't be."

While the others were still a little start struck over Ryous ass-pull of a win, Noire was shocked for more different reasons. She was more focused on the attack Ryou just used on Ryuko. The movement, the speed, the power, she recognized every detail of it. And how could she not...since it was literally one of her strongest attacks.

Specifically, it was her original EXE Drive. The Original Infinite Slash.

"Uuugh..." A low groan snapped everyone out of there stupor and turned there gaze to the smoke cloud that was left behind after Ryous final strike. Standing in the epicenter was Ryuko, who has taken a considerable amount of damage with her cloths torn up, multiple slash wounds and even her hair was left down, the length of which reaching just past her collar-bone.

From there view, her expression was unreadable. Even so, she proceeded to walk to Ryous unconscious body, stopping in place about a foot from him and looked at him. While tired, he still wore a smirk on his face, satisfied over his victory. Seeing this, Ryuko pulled out the device Ken gave her earlier and simply dropped it onto the ground...

*STOMP*CRACK*

Only to instantly stomp and destroy it. The instant the deed was done, the barrier in front of Noire and Neptune became visible and shattered without a moments thought.

"Congratulations. You've won." After saying her piece to him, Ryuko turned her gaze to the two candidates and quickly swiped her sword, the winds that cmae out of it cutting them both of there bindings without so much as a scratch.

"And you two are free to go. I shall be taking my leave as well...which is what I want to say, but I see you have other plans, Black Heart." She said as she can already feel Black Hearts broadsword on her neck.

"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere."

"Not without telling you what I know, am I wrong?"

"Start talking. Who sent you all to kidnap our sisters!?" Noire interrogated as Neptune waltzed past them to check on there younger sisters, though her veiled threats don't seem to affect the kidnapper even the smallest bit.

"Well that one should be simply, considering you can tell by simply looking at our 'Eyes'." Ryou replied, making sure to put emphasis on her eyes. Recalling what Ryou said earlier, Noire managed to piece the puzzle rather quickly.

"...So LOGIN is involved in this after all. I knew they seemed shady, but this... What did they want with them?"

"...That I honestly do not know, though if my intuition is right, whatever they wished to do with Purple Sister and Black Sister, it would most likely resulted in there deaths."

"Yeowsers. If none of us came when we did, Uni and Nep jr would've been toast." Neptune commented from the sidelines, with her sister and her best friends(?) both gulping at the thought.

"If you also wish of there goals, then I'm afraid I can not answer that." Ryuko interjected before things got off topic, earning a raised eyebrow from Noire.

"Why?"

"Simple...I do not know of there true intentions myself. I was simply given a mission and I undertook it. Though knowing the details involved, I probably would've let your sisters go free regardless of whether you all came or not."

"Well that's pretty noble of you." Uni added in.

"Yes, you really don't see the truly noble types of characters these days." Nepgear added as well.

"So, in short, you're just a lackey that really doesn't know of the bad-guys over-arching plan?" Neptune asked.

"Not exactly how I would put it, but yes. Although to be frank, I didn't really care of there true intentions at first, but after these events, I think we can all assume that whatever they are doing won't be exactly pleasing."

"If that's the case, then why are you with them in the first place?" Noire asked.

"...Because I was looking for someone, and joining them was only a means to an end, nothing more."

"So you were never really on there side to begin with?" Noire asked, her sword remaining steady but inching away from Ryukos neck.

"Precisely. That said..."

Within a moments notice, Ryuko summoned a strong burst of wind, temporarily hampering everyones vision. Black Heart tried to attack in response, but ended up only hacking at the air, with Ryuko no where to be seen.

"Heed this warning, Goddesses of Gameindustri..." Ryukos voice could be heard from within the factory. " The winds of change are upon us. You would all best brace yourselves for the storm that is to come."

"Tch! Damn it, she got away." Noire muttered to herself. While she can safely tell that she's not there enemy, she firmly believes she's not there ally either. Regardless, she transformed back into her human form and made her way towards Neptune and their sisters. "Uni, Nepgear, are you two OK?"

"Yes, for the most part."

"Yeah, we're alright sis."

"*sigh* That's good to hear."

"Alrighty! We came just in time, we beat the baddies and our sisters are saved. Now all that's left to do is go home, report to Histy and Kei that the mission is accomplish and enjoy some good old pudding!" Neptune cheered on, now more than ready to turn in after todays events. In the background, Nepgear was chuckling a bit pitifully at her sisters usual antics, Uni just sighed and Noire outright facepalmed.

"Neptune, while I do sometimes admire your optimism, but now is not the right time to be relaxing." Noire spoke up, earning the other CPUs attention. "Setting aside the possibility of LOGINs involvement in this, we still have to prepare ourselves for the CPU Shift Period, so now might be the worst time to be taking it easy."

"Oh, pshaw, you worry too much Noire. If anything does happen, all we gotta do is just wallop any baddy that comes our way and look good while doing it. Easy peasy."

"*sigh* Why you simple minded...whatever, you can do what you want. Let's just get out of here before that convoy arrives."

"Wait a moment. What about Ryou?" Nepgear pipes up, stopping everyone else in there tracks as they gaze back to the passed-out LOGIN agent.

"Nepu! You're right Nep jr. I completely forgot about him. Wait just a sec." Neptune proceeded to transform and make her way to Ryous unconscious body. " I shall be carrying him back along with us...That is, if you don't mind, Noire." Purple Heart shot her friend a mischievous smile.

"Do what you want, it's not like I really care."

"Oh, are you sure? I mean he did dive into your core after all." Purple Heart said suggestively, causing both Noire and the Candidates to blush up a storm at the implications.

"Y-Y-Your core!?"

"Big sis!?"

"W-Wait, it's not what you're thinking! Grr, damn it Neptune! Stop trying to put that kind of crap into there heads!"

"*Giggles* Sorry, I couldn't resist. Oh well, I guess I'm having him to myself now."

"Y-You...tch, whatever. You can do what you want with him. I'm leaving!"

Noire left in a huff in her usual fashion, prompting the others to follow her. Though as they were making there leave, Purple Heart noticed something very strange when her gaze went to her younger sister and her best friend.

("Is it just me, or are they actually keeping there distance from eachother? Those two are normally very close, sometimes to the point where some might mistake them for lovers...Did something happen before they got kidnapped?") Purple Heart thought to herself for a moment, considering on whether or not to ask them about it, but shook her head a little while after. ("No, now might not be the best time, especially when were not even in a safe zone. Still, I'm going to have to ask Nepgear about it sooner or later.")

As she was lost in thought, the Planeptune goddess slowly brought her gaze to the young man she was carrying on her shoulder. She recalled the events of last night, as well as what she saw today, and despite what she may say, he truly did look the part of a hero, even if he was pretty full of himself. She couldn't help but crack a soft smile as she thought about how hard he pushed himself just to save their sisters.

("...You really gave it your all back there, didn't you Ryou?") She brought a hand to his chest and leaned her head on his shoulders in gratitude. Then, when everyone else was out of earshot, she whispered into his ear...

"Thank you."

* * *

*CRASH**BREAK*

"There, now Hideyoshi won't be able to track me so easily."

Within the forest a ways from the old factory, Ryuko just got done destroying her clamshell phone, making sure that not even a single piece was left undamaged. after the deed was done, she raised her right hand onto a gash on her left arm and hissed in pain, reeling back a little in the process.

She doesn't know how Ryou was able to get stronger in such a short period of time, nor does she know how he was able to mimic a skill from a CPU, but she must admit, if he could do this much damage to her, then he is much stronger than she originally thought.

"Regardless, after I get these wounds treated, I'm going to have to go into hiding. No doubt once this gets back to him, they're going to be hunting me down." Ryukos thoughts then drifted back to her fight with Ryou.

As there fight was raging on, she noticed that a small, lanky and injured shadow was sneaking past Purple Heart and Black Heart and making its exit out of the factory. She immediately deduced that it was Ken, regaining conscious and making his way back to headquarters to report to Hideyoshi. She could almost imagine the look on his face when Ken reports back.

...and she can already imagine the staggering amount of bloodlust Mitsuo will have for her once he catches wind of her supposed betrayal.

"Sigh* That man always valued loyalty and honor above all else, sometimes even at the cost of common sense. I sometimes wonder how far that loyalty of his will take him." She muses as she recounts her time with LOGIN as part of the Ghosts

When she first heard of LOGIN, she was rather skeptical, being they were the special ops to the Guild, who were already considered special ops. Not only that, but when she heard of people within LOGIN who's strength could rival the CPUs themselves, her suspicions and curiosity were peaked. While a little reluctant at first, she decided to join them, if only for her own ends in finding the one she was looking for.

Sure, when she and other new recruits were going to be treated within tanks full of manufactured share energy, they were considerate enough to warn them of the dangers involved, including severe sickness, mutation and death, but her trepidation did not fade a bit. Especially when after the fact was done and she came out alright, better than ever even, she and the other recruits had the unlucky pleasure of witnessing one of the others mutate into a grotesque monster shortly before dying.

After that utter horror show of an initiation, she was immediately put into the "Ghosts" a select group of people under the head of LOGINs command. She was privy to some of LOGINs top secrets, but she quickly knew that there were some secrets that Hideyoshi was purposely hiding from them. For one, while she knows of how Manufactures Shares are made, she doesn't know where they even get them, nor does she know of LOGINs true goals, despite working for Hideyoshi directly.

Each mission she undertook were mainly intel gather, monster exterminations, and the occasional assassination of a corrupt official. But it was not until this particular mission that her doubts were confirmed.

She will not lie, she like a lot of others a few years back, didn't exactly favor any goddess, not after keeping the Console War going for so long. However, when she heard the news of the Friendship Treaty as well as see the well-hidden regret on the Goddesses faces as well as the effort they all (debatable) put in to make things works, especially after they all defeated the chaotic Cyan Heart a couple months back, her opinions of them changed dramatically.

...So one could imagine how she felt when she and her team were essentially assigned into kidnapping a CPU or Candidate.

Needless to say, even from the beginning it didn't sit well with her. She even would admit that she wanted to tear Hagane apart after what he did to Black Sister. even so, while it was difficult to do so, she kept up her facade, if only to keep herself safe. Though if Ryou and the Goddess came when they, did she would've made due with what she said earlier, killed her teammates and the convoy and let the Candidates go.

As things stand now however, she can't help but take her own advice and think of the storm to come. not only is she going to have to worry about LOGIN going after her, but just by going off of what happened in this mission, as well as this happening conveniently and coincidentally days before the CPU shift period, the fact is, whatever LOGIN has planned, it will not be good for anyone.

"...It's a good thing I grabbed this before I made my leave." Ryuko reached from under her skirt (do they have pockets under there or something?) and procured a small yet bulky item. it looked like the handle of a beam saber, colored black, white and gold with a pale green gem in the very middle. Looking into the gem, she saw a bit of code go through it, as if it was analyzing her. After a few moments, a few simple words popped up, reading [Ryuko Ayumu: Compatability- 72%].

"I might not be able to use it properly, but at least it will be out of their hands for now. True Goddess knows what Hideyoshi might've planned for it." She told herself as she stuff the item back into her skirt as she made her way out of the forest. Although as she walked through the forest, her thoughts went back to Ryou, and immediately adorned a forlorn expression.

"It is disheartening that he doesn't remember me. Then again, it has been a very long time since we've last seen each other, especially after that tragedy." Ryuko marched on forward, her frown slowly turning into a barely noticeable smile.

"Even so... I hope that we will meet again under better circumstances, brother."

* * *

"*Sigh* This is both disturbing, and infuriating news. Not only has X-Calibur gone missing, but Kujo overloaded the Share Machine as well?"

"Unfortunately so my lord. Though at the very least that malfunction managed to off that harlot Rei for good."

"But that is the only good thing as of now."

Standing in his office, Hideyoshi was currently conversing with Mitsuo, who was kneeling in front of his desk, of recent events. According to the solider that reported to Mitsuo, the X-Calibur had been missing since yesterday afternoon, and whoever had the guts to steal it managed to not set off the alarm.

During said report, Kujo had pushed the Share Machine beyond its limits, and as a result, it overloaded and malfunctioned, causing some minor damage within the lab. While no one was injured, Rei unfortunately died in the process, her body finally having enough of the treatment and gave out, prompting Kujo to store her body into a cryogenic chamber, supposedly for research purposes.

"Mitsuo, tell me, have we got any word from the Ghosts yet?"

"Negative. When the Convoy team showed up in the factory, the Ghosts and the Candidates were gone. Not just that, but there also seemed to be signs of a large battle taking place, so I assume that someone found them and they escaped...well not all of them."

"What do you mean?"

"When the Convoy came back, they recovered Hagane Todokas body. The forensics say that he was stabbed through the heart, his death instantaneous." Hideyoshi couldn't help but bring a hand to his forehead and sigh in a mixture of calm frustration and mourning.

"I see. Did we get any word from Ryuko or Kensuke?"

"No, we-"

*BANG*

"Boss!"

Upon hearing the door fly open, Hideyoshi shot out of his chair and assumed a fighting stance as Mitsuo whipped around and brought a hand to his nodachi, prepared for the possibility of a break-in. The next moment, they both lowered there guard as they see an exhausted and severely injured Ken walk into the room, holding onto one of his broken arm.

"Kensuke." Mitsuo called out, slowly taking his hand away from his sword as Kensuke collapsed on his knees on the floor. Hideyoshi promptly walked up to Kensuke and placed a hand on the young mans shoulder, like a father concerned over his sons well-being.

"Kensuke, what in Gameindustri happened to you? Where is Ryuko?"

"Haa. Haa. Haa. Everything just went to hell, that's what happened."

"Tell us from the beginning Kirisaki!" Mitsuo inquired.

"I don't know how or why, but they found us."

"Who?"

"The CPUs and that Ayumu punk. They found us right before the Convoy got here." Their eyes widen in surprise, Hideyoshi and Mitsuo looked to one another and then back to Kensuke.

"Go on."

"Me and Hagane brought up a barrier so the CPUs wouldn't get near and we both almost dealt with Ayumu. Out of nowhere, Ryuko attacked us. She killed Hagane, destroyed all my knives and nearly killed me!"

"WHAT!?" Mitsuo roared.

"Are you sure of this?" Hideyoshi inquired.

"I practically felt her sword slam me a good few yards away. By the time I came to, she and Ayumu were duking it out. I was too injured to fight and all my knives were gone, so I had no choice but to get out of there."

"Did anyone spot you?"

"Nope, thank fuck too since I snuck past the CPUs. If they did find me, I wouldn't be here."

"Good. The last thing we need now is for them to be on our very doorstep. Still, the situation has taken a turn for the worst." Hideyoshi got up and stood straight up and walked to his desk with his back facing Kensuke. "Now, get your wounds treated and get some rest. You've had a very rough day today I imagine..."

"Yeah, no need to tell me twice." Kensuke got up with sime struggle and tried to make his way out of the office. "Man, this day has been pretty shi-"

"Which is what I wanted to say, but I do apologize for this Kensuke."

"Wha?"

*SWISH*

Before Ken could turn around and ask, his body was frozen stiff, he couldn't move an inch. Barely able to turn his head, he spotted Mitsuo, his sword unsheathed and had just finished a strike. He then proceeded to sheath his nodachi back into its scabbard.

At the same time, Kensuke could feel his entire body growing cold, but at the same time, he could feel his neck and lower abdomen getting hotter and hotter.

"I am sorry for this, truly I do not enjoy doing this to my own subordinates, but right now we cannot afford any more weaknesses or liabilities. I can only hope that you may find peace, wherever your soul may take you...rest in peace, Kensuke Kirisaki."

*CLANG*

The instant Mitsuo sheathed his sword, blood suddenly started seeping out of his neck and stomach area, both now showing that Mitsuo cut straight through them. Kensuke only choked in pain as his head and lower body started to slide off his body, each part falling onto the floor as blood an organs poured out of the now deceased Ghost agents corpse.

After the deed was done, Mitsuo slammed the butt of his scabbard straight into the floor, his face taking on a monstrous scowl.

"*Growls* Nothing angers me more than those who practice betrayal. Death shall be their reward for having dishonored the name of LOGIN!"

"Mitsuo...what do you intend to do?"

"To hunt down both of those traitors and make them suffer for their crimes! Once I do, they shall both regret the day they were even born!"

"No, you may not." Mitsuo whipped around to face his lord in shock.

"Lord Hideyoshi!?"

"Listen Mitsuo. As the situation stand, we are in no position to be making any moves. We don't have enough Manufactured Sharicite, the machine is down for now, and the Ghosts have failed. Add to that with the CPUs involvement in their sisters rescue, no doubt they will become suspicious of us sooner or later, especially if Ryuko herself confirmed it for them. And as for Ryou...*sigh* it is a shame really. I was hoping he would be able to join our ranks, but it would seem he is more interested in playing hero than join our cause."

"Then what must we do my lord?" Hideyoshi went to his desk and wrote down a letter as fast as possible (how can he do that when he's so big?). Within seconds, he put the letter in the envelope with LOGINs seal on it, walked to Mitsuo and handed it to him.

"Have someone send this letter to Histoire as soon as possible. In the meantime, we should rally our troops and go into hiding until an opportune moment shows itself. Until then, we are not to make any actions or appear before the public. Is that understood?"

"Yes my lord. I shall pass this message onto the soldiers as well."

"Very good. Also, be sure to let everyone know that as of this moment, Ryou Ayumu is no longer a member of LOGIN."

"Yes my lord."

"Good. Now go, and make haste."

"As you wish." With one final bow, Mitsuo walked out of the office expeditiously, leaving Hideyoshi to rub his head in contemplation.

"It's just one thing after the other. I suppose we're just going to have to adapt to the situation, just as we always do. We humans adapt and evolve, that fact will never change. *sigh* But that still doesn't change the fact that this is a rather aggravating day. I should make a trip to the training facility to blow some of this off."

* * *

Within his own barracks, Yamato sat within the middle of the room, meditating with his broadsword in his lap, with nothing but silence to accompany him.

("*Sigh* It was a lot worse than I thought. It isn't just some sort of coup d'etat ... it's a full-blown revolution waiting to happen.") He mused as his thoughts drifted to Hideyoshis late-night address.

He gathered every single agent that was present, including Kujo, and told everyone of his true goals and LOGINs true purpose. Long story short, he founded LOGIN as a means of unifying all of humankind under one rule, away from the Goddesses. He listed away all of their sins from the Console War, sending thousands of people to there death, spliting families and loved-ones apart for there selfish and pitiful squabble and in general deemed them all unfit to rule there nations.

Everyone listened intently, every man and woman within LOGIN did not break there gaze from there leader. As he ended his speech, he gave everyone until midnight tomorrow to either stay or leave, giving them the option of whether to join him in his revolution, or to leave and go back to the Goddesses. That would actually make him a very fair man...if it weren't for the fact that his bloodhound would find and maim anyone that would try.

Even so, there was one thing that sort of blew Yamato away...is that no one objected nor called Hideyoshi out. In fact, the mass majority actually cheered, claiming that they would follow him until the end. He wasn't sure if the Manufactures Sharicite brainwashed them or they did in fact believe in Hideyoshis cause, but right now that doesn't matter to him. What matters now is...

"Now what do I do?"

Even now still, Yamato was still struggling to decide on whose side he should take. Both have there ups and downs and they both gave him a reprieve from his boring, tedious life. Should he take the side of the goddesses and defend the old Gameindustri, or should he stay with LOGIN and help create a new world where everyone can move forward as one?

These thoughts plague his mind, as both come with there fair share of consequences. As he continues to think, he suddenly reminds himself of the last time he and Histoire spoke.

-Flash Back-

"Are you certain about this Yamato?" The Planeptune Oracle asks, with the A-Class agents back to her.

At this point in time, Ryou is recovering in the guest room and Yamato has already given her the letter to his pupil of staying at Planeptune.

"Sure as any. If the Ghosts are involved in this, then no doubt LOGIN is finally starting to make a move. I'll be going back to LOGIN HQ to investigate. I'll be sure to contact you if I learn of anything."

Yamato proceeds to make his way out and back to HQ, but quickly felt a small hand tug at the collar of his shirt, prompting him to stop where he stood. It didn't take a genius to know who it could be.

"*Sigh* so, you're that worried?" He asked, turning his gaze around him and to the small tome fairy.

"Of course I am. Ever since they developed Manufactures Share Energy, LOGIN activities have been rather sketchy and I've been getting fewer and fewer reports from them as the head of the Guild. If they are indeed the ones begin Nepgear and Unis kidnapping, you would be putting yourself neck deep in danger."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time at least. I'm just going to have to hope for the-"

"...And I know you've been very troubled lately."

Yamato stopped in his tracks. He knows what she's going to say next, so he chose to stay quiet as Histoire continues.

"I think we both know by now that, while there intentions are unclear, LOGIN is up to something, and whatever it is, no doubt all of Gameindustri will be caught up in the middle."

"And all of this happening just as the CPU Shift Period is about to start doesn't help there case, am I right?"

"Indeed. That being said, Yamato Kisaragi...where do you stand in all of this?"

"That, I don't really know...then again, you already knew that?" Histoire rose up to him as he fully turns around to face her. there were so close to each other and now stand meeting eye to eye.

"Yes. I could tell just by looking at you. We've been together for a long time now. Three years in fact. I know how your mind works as well as I know myself."

"Heh, you can read me like a book can you?"

"Well, I would make for a rather poor lover if I could not."

"True, and that does go both ways."

"Really? Then tell me, what I'm I thinking right now? And don't say I'm worried, because you already knew that."

"Hmm?" He cups his chin and thinks for a moment.

"You don't want me to do anything reckless..."

"Mhm."

"You want me to think things through before I made a concrete decision..."

"Correct."

"...And you really don't actually want me to go because you love me, but you have to because there are things that need to be done, hehe."

Histoire blushed at the last thought, but instead of getting flustered, she giggles lightly to herself. She then quickly gave him a quick peck on the lips, only slightly catching him off guard.

"Well, you are certainly not wrong. (*^▽^*)" She flirted lightly, but quickly went back into serious business. "But still, whatever is going on right now, I need you to be careful. I have a feeling that a lot of things are going to happen in the near future, and there is no telling what might happen, especially when we are in a point in time where the faith in the CPUs are at there weakest. That and..." Histoire pauses for a moment and looks down.

"Hist?"

As if answering him, she looks back up with small tears in her eyes, waiting to fall.

"And...I-I honestly don't know what I would do, if something were to happen to you."

Seeing this, Yamato took the initiative and gently wiped away her tears and gave her a soft pat on the head as he gave her a genuine smile.

"You worry too much Hist. I'm made of some pretty tough stuff, so I should be fine." Upon moving his hand away, Histoire quickly raised her own to grab onto it...or at least grab onto his finger.

"I shall hold you to it then. Still, please do be careful."

"I will. And please watch over Ryou. He may be a dumbapple with an inflated ego, but he's a good man at heart."

"I shall. Also, Yamato?"

"Yes?"

"Mmm."

Holding onto his finger tight, Histoire closed her eyes and slowly leaned forward, giving Yamato a full kiss on the lips, with the agent himself quickly returning it. They just stood there for a little while, savoring each others lips.

"Haa..."

They eventually break off there long kiss in order to catch there breath.

"I want you to know, that no matter what happens, even if our paths someday diverge forever...I'll always love you. Never forget that."

Yamato lightly gasped, her words leaving him speechless. He always figured she was the kind of person who would put duty over love, but hearing this from her, a small torrent of emotions swirled within his chest.

Comfort, affection, happiness, but more importantly...gratitude. Just the thought of someone keeping fond memories of him, despite being a transparent and forgettable person, made him glad, no, thrilled. Overjoyed even.

He gave her another smile as he brought a hand to her and cupped her small cheek.

"Thank you, Histoire. I'm really happy to hear that."

-Flash Back End-

"*Deep sigh* It's decided then."

As he finished his recollection, Yamato got up and sheathed his broadsword, his face full of certainty. He now knows what he has to do. He then quickly fished out his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed a number, placing the phone to his ear.

*RING*RING*RING*

"Hello. May I please speak to Hideyoshi Kusanagi? ...Uhu...Yes...In the training facility? ...Uhu...Uhu...Yes, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

*CLICK*

"Well, that saves me some trouble...I'm just hoping I don't end up regretting this later."

* * *

"Ugh..." Ryou was barely able to open his eyes as he finally awoke. He tries to move his body, but exhaustion seemed to catch up to him, as he was barely able to move his head, much less his arms or legs. Sighing in resignation, he opted to take a look around the room. Seeing the familiar lilac decor, he instantly recognized that he was back in the guest room, and judging from the window to his right, it's around mid-day already.

("Guess someone must've brought me here...huh?") As he started to gain a little more strength back, he finally started to notice the small weight right next to his left side. Turning his head around, he was surprised to see Nepgear, sleeping soundly next to him with her head resting on her arms.

Now, under normal circumstances, he would be pretty peeved to see her here right now, but curiously... a small part of him is actually kind of glad she's here. He doesn't know why, but having someone that he just saved actually watch over him as he's conked out is strangely comforting.

("Looking back on it, I was kind of a huge dick to her ever since we met, and yet she's still here? Man, either she's kinda dim or she has the patience of a saint.") Ryou muses. While it may be difficult (or at least for him), he's probably going to have to apologize to her whenever she-

"Mmmm..."

"Well, that's some convenient timing." He muttered as Nepgear slowly woke up herself.

"Yo. Morning sunshine."

"Huh..." Obviously still half-asleep, it took a good few seconds for her mind to catch up. Upon seeing her current position, she blushed a little and quickly sat straight up in the chair she was sitting in.

"R-R-Ryou! I uh...g-good morning. Or it's good afternoon?" She panicked as she tried to save face, but Ryou rolled his eyes, but doesn't seem all that annoyed. In fact, he caught himself chuckling a little.

"Nepgear, I think it's already past lunch, so it ain't morning as far as I can tell, hehe."

"But wait, didn't you just say good morning?"

"I was just joshing you." He teased. "Anyways, how are ya holding up? That arm any better?" Nepgear lightly gasped as she was was understandably caught off-guard by his question. He, honest to goddess, genuinely asked if she was alright. No annoyance, no sarcasm or anything.

"Um, hello?" He somehow raised a hand and waved it in her face when she didn't respond, snapping her back into reality.

"Oh, r-right. I'm OK. My arm has almost healed completely. I just need a bit of bed rest and I should be fine. How about you?"

"Me? Well apart from being exhausted as all hell and feeling like a tornado blasted into my face, I'd say I'm hunky dory."

"Phew, that's good to hear. We were all really worried when you passed out back there."

"T-That reminds me...what happened to Ryuko?"

"OOh. Well, you did managed to hit her...no, more like you did a substantial amount of damage."

"Really!? Oh baby, yeah!" He fist-pumped under the sheets, more than happy to hear that he did more than just hit her. Before he could strut his ego even further, Nepgear continued to speak.

"When you passed out, she destroyed the barrier around the room and set me and U-Uni free..." Ryou slightly noticed that she hesitated a little when she said Unis name, though he opted to ignore it for now.

"Noire tried to apprehend her, but she managed to escape."

"Did she at least say anything before she vamoosed?"

"Yes actually. Although some of what she said was pretty cryptic, she did tell us that she wasn't on there side to begin with." She answered him, leaving behind some important details intentionally for until they've confirmed LOGINs suspicion.

"Oh?" Ryou raised an eyebrow. "Then what the hell was she doing with those two losers anyways?"

"She only said she was looking for someone."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

After taking it all in and taking a deep breath, Ryou turned to his side away from Nepgear. He summarized everything into his head: He did in fact beat Ryuko (though it was a bit of a shallow victory), the Candidates are saved, and in general things seemed to have finally calmed down. Now all that's left for him right now is to wait until Yamato calls for him back to Headquarters, report that the dive was a success, and he'll make A-Class in a snap

...but there is one elephant he'd like to get out of the way first, and it involves the girl right behind him.

"Hey." He called to her.

"Yes?"

"...Sorry."

"Huh?"

"I said I'm sorry alright?" He waved his hand upward, his face still facing away from her.

"What the goodness? Why are you apologizing?"

"For yesterday of course. Granted you were being a bit too apologetic, but at the same time I was waaaaaay out of line yesterday. Getting woken up at 4 in the morning cause a certain neighbor decided to make some noise with his bedmate. Fucking Yoshiro." He cursed that last part under his breath, and in the backround, Nepgear was blushing up a storm at the thought of someone being woken up by the sounds of, well...you get the idea.

"Anyways, I'm sorry I was a jackass-"

"...No, you were right."

"-and you didn- Wait what?" Ryou turned his head back around to Nepgear, who was looking at him a bit more sternly than he remembered her.

"You don't have to apologize. Although you certainly didn't have to be rude and mean, you weren't wrong when you told me that I needed to stop being such a pushover...however I'm not usually like that. I was just having a pretty bad day in general."

"Boy I'll say." He asked about what happened before they met, and Nepgear gladly filled him in on what went down before their chance meeting.

"So basically it just seemed like everyone and there grandmas decided to make this a bad day for ya, huh? Man, you've got some pretty crappy luck for all that to happen."

"Well, you're certainly not wrong. But it's alright. I've mostly gotten used to this sort of thing. Helps that I've been through worse."

"Um, yeah, between getting bit by an oversized werewolf and getting kidnapped, what would you consider worse?"

"...Being held prisoner in the Gameindustri Graveyard for 3 years straight, getting horribly violated and almost lost my virginity to a sadistic Karma Houdini, getting stuck with a bunch of useless and somewhat hurtful affinities, and more often than not getting abandoned, and at one point, almost disowned by my own sister."

"Huh. Well...the fuck do I know?"

"That and, while they're only a few of them now, there are still some people out there that despise me over something that happened a couple years back."

"Well what the hell did you do?"

"...The less you know the better. Let's just say that it gave a lot of people nightmares." Nepgear explained, shuddering at the fact that, even to this day, even if this is a different continuity altogether, people still spite her for what happened in the Conquest ending.

...Though in hindsight, if Un*e*Ta*e had proven anything, it wasn't necessarily Nepgears fault, but the fault of the players who went out of there way to get that ending and make everyones lives hell, all for the sake of curiosity...and an achievement.

"Alright. I'll take your words for it." Ryou answers, digging his hand out from under the covers and extending it to Nepgear, who just looked at him curiously.

"So...we cool?" She quickly caught on to what he was saying, and needless to say she was a little touched. After all the drama and needlessly cold treatment, he actually seems to want to patch things up.

Seeing this, she nod her head with one of her best smiles and held out her own hand to shake his.

"Ah..." She blushed lightly as she is still holding his hand. ("His hand is so warm...and it feels really nice too.")

"Hm? What's up?"

"Ah! N-Nothing! Nothing!" Snapping back into reality, Nepgear yanked her hand away from his as her whole face turned bright red. Hearing a pair of foot-steps outside the door, Nepgear straightens herself out and Ryou casually sits up as Neptune comes barreling in.

"Behold, the main heroine Neptune is here!" Neptune proclaims as she strikes a pretty geeky pose.

"Yaay. Neptunes here." Ryou said, clearly being unenthusiastic.

"Hey, what's with the monotone? Should have I done a dynamic entry instead?"

"Nope, that would've made you look more retarded than you already are."

"Nepu! That's so mean Ryou!" Neptune whined, but Ryou merely rolled his eyes, now this time in annoyance.

"*giggles* Looks like you two are getting along well."

"Um, no we are not Gear."

"Yes we are! It has been told by the stars that we are fated to be together. So it's only natural we get along swimmingly."

"Pssh, yeah right." Ryou complained, but now just noticed the lack of a certain tsunderian in the room. "Hey, now that I think about it, where's everyone else?"

"Oh right." Nepgear piped up. "After we got back and had you patched up, Noire, Uni and Kei went back to Lastation."

"Aw. That makes sense."

"Wha? Are you saying you miss Nowa Ryou?"

"W-What!? Hell No! I was wondering where she was!"

"Oh really? Then why are you blushing like a school girl?"

"I am not!"

"Then what's that hiding under the covers?"

"FUCK!" Ryou leans forward to cover his lower region, only to discover that nothing was rising at all. Next thing he knew, Neptune was laughing her little butt off, and Nepgear just looked very confused.

"Goddammit, not again!"

"Hahahahaha! I can't believe you fell for that twice!"

"Ah! Screw you." Ryou just threw his head back onto the pillow, not wanting to deal with this goddess on crack any more.

"Though anyways, I just walked on in to say thanks for rescuing my little sis. You're a real hero now in my books, and one that has officially stolen my heart." Neptune praised and joked, earning another eye roll from the LOGIN agent.

"Also, thanks for keeping an eye on him Nep jr, you really didn't have to."

"It was no trouble sis. It was the least I could do to thank him for saving us earlier."

"Thatta girl!" Neptune proceeded to give her younger sister a pat on the head, something that Nepgear clearly enjoyed as she giggled softly.

"Wait, now that I think about it..." She then looked to her younger sibling in suspicion. "You didn't do anything weird to him while he was sleeping, did you?"

"While he was sleeping? Like what?" Both Neptune and Ryou sweatdropped at Nepgears obliviousness.

"Geez. Guess girls like you do exist after all. C'mere for a sec, will ya?" Nepgear lend her elder sister her ear as Neptune began whispering into it. A few seconds later, Nepgears face was as red as a tomato and steam was blowing out of her ears like a steamboat.

"T-T-THAT'S WHAT YOU MEANT!? GOODNESS NO! I WOULD DIE OF EMBARRASSMENT!"

"Aw, thank nep. You had me worried for a sec there." Neptune sighed in relief as she wiped the non-existent sweat from her brow. "Although, I wouldn't blame you if you did. I mean this guy is a real hot-pocket."

"I have a name ya know!" Ryou called out, but Neptune ignored him for now.

"That and while I would get mad at the both of you, I wouldn't be too surprised if it was the other way around."

"...Huh?" both Nepgear and Ryou raised an eyebrow at Neptune, now wondering just what the hell she meant.

"I mean lets face it junior. You're smart, athletic, and a real cutie to boot. Heck, I checked your measurements the other day and, holy nep, you're almost a D-cup now! I bet Ryou noticed too, how sexy your body is and how much he must've wanted to touch you."

"Y-You-!" Ryou protested, but Nepgear immediately cut him off.

"Sister!? Why are you saying all of that with Ryou sitting right here!?"

"Huh? Eh? KYAAAAAAH!"

*CRASH*

("You...idiot, Neptune.") He barely finished his thought as Neptune falls prey to her sisters counterattack. Nepgears face is now scarlet and is desperately trying to cover Neptunes mouth.

"Uh, Nepgear, I know you wanna keep your sis' mouth shut, but if you keep that up, you'll kill her." Ryous words go unnoticed, but Nepgear did let go of her sisters mouth a little after.

"Haa, haa, haa, wow Nepgear. I knew you're made of tough stuff, but I didn't know your were that strong. I thought I was a goner."

"N-No complaints little missy! Now please contemplate on your actions right now!"

"Nepu~." Neptune cried out with a comical steam of tears.

("Wow, guess Nepgear does know how to put her foot down. Who knew.") Ryou mused as he watched the Nep sisters toy around.

"Hey, now that I think about it..." Neptune trails off as she seemingly looks to the ceiling. "Yo! Mister author guys! Can you two wrap this up! I mean I wanna spend more time with Ryou and all, but I think the readers are getting kinda bored right now!"

("What the hell is she babbling on about now?") Ryou thought when...

"Neptune! Nepgear! Are you two in here!?" Looking to where the voice was, the three occupants saw Histoire floating into the room in a hurry.

"Yo Histy! Nice timing and...whoa, are you OK?"

"She's right Histoire. Are you alright? You look really worried."

"I'm grateful for the concern you two, but now is not the time. Is Ryou Ayumu awake yet?" Histoire asked, with the LOGIN agent raising a hand and waving it in her direction.

"Yep, I'm up. What's going on?" seeing this, Histoire did not hesitate to zoom right next to him on the bed and look at him dead in the eye and took a deep breath.

"Ryou, I need you to stay as calm as possible. Do you understand?"

"OK, so what's the problem?" On cue, she brought up another envelope with LOGIN ensignia on it, this time it was already open, showing that she might've taken a look already.

"This came in just now. You all need to take a look at this."

"Alright, so let's see it." Histoire handed it to him, but not before warning him that he needs to stay calm. Simply nodding, Ryou opened the envelope and read its contents without a moments thought...

*RECORD SCRATCH*

"*GAAAAAAASSSP*!"

A few seconds later however, Ryous entire figure went ghostly pale as a shadow loomed over his eyes.

"Whoa, Ryou, you OK there?"

"What's wrong?" Both Nep sisters asked, but the young man didn't even budged and inch. Curious, they both peaked over his shoulder and read the letter themselves. It reads:

[Dear Histoire:

I sincerely apologize on notifying you this unfortunate news on such short notice, but due to recent events, I thought it would be imperative to let you know immediately. During this last month, we at LOGIN have had numeral individuals that have attempted to rebel or outright overthrow me in order to use LOGIN for there own self-gain. Some of which happen to unfortunately be within even in my inner circle of trusties. Not only that, but just this morning, we've received intel from an anonymous source that the perpetrators behind the kidnapping of Lady Purple Sister as well as Lady Black Sister were none other than former Agents that have gone rouge. Knowing all of this, I am sorry to announce that as of this moment, LOGIN has been officially disbanded. All personal present are no longer agents and there cellular devices have been permanently disconnected. I truly apologize for such grave news, but we cannot afford to risk anything in this point in time where the peoples faith in the Goddesses will be at there absolute weakest. That and I think I speak for the both of us when I say that we especially do not want another criminal organization such asASIC or the Seven Sages to develop. Once again, I am truly sorry for this, but it is something that must be done for the good of Gameindustri. Also, if you happen to come across a one Ryou Ayumu, give him my best regards.

Signed, Hideyoshi Kusanagi.]

"Nepu!?"

"They disbanded!?"

"Indeed. I was not expecting this at all."

"Have you tried to get into contact with Yamato Histoire?"

"I tried earlier, but just as the letter said, his number was no longer in the database, and all of his contact information has completely disappeared." Histoire told them, all the while looking especially worried upon Yamatos names being uttered.

"Oh geez. This looks really...huh, does anyone else hear that?" Neptune stopped mid-sentence upon hearing a rather peculiar sounds. Opening there ears for a moment, it almost sounded like the fuse to a bomb being lit. Trailing the noise to its origin, all eyes were upon Ryou...

"ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff-"

"fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff? What does that mean?" Neptune questioned, but no answer came. Taking a closer inspection, the sisters and Oracle stepped back as they saw that Ryou was now a dark red instead of a pale white, there were several tic marks on his head, he was biting his lip so hard that it was slightly bleeding, and it just felt like getting near him was like opening up an oven.

"fffffffffffffffffffffffffFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-"

"Um, sister, Histoire, I think we need to go."

"I believe you are right Nepgear. (O_O)"

"He's gonna blow!" the three of them make there quit exit as the young man was left alone in the room.

Ryou himself just sat there, looking at the piece of paper with bloodshot eyes, getting angrier and angrier with each passing moment, and why shouldn't he? He was at arms length of obtaining his dream of A-Class status as a hero, and after seeing this letter...words can even begin to describe his full emotions right now.

His dream is now shattered. His motivation in life is now gone just as he was about to obtain it. Then, without warning...

He.

Finally.

...Snapped.

"FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKK!"


	13. Aftermath

A/N: (DxD) This chapter was earlier and much less wordy as opposed to the last one (hooray) Were getting ready to go into the Megadimension (yay) but before we get there we need to make some set ups. Also since everything has been kind of action heavy I figure we'd turn up the romance factor a bit gradually, let us know what ya think and if were on the right track. It would help, also the poll I have now, seems decisive, but I'll leave it up a little longer incase you haven't yet cast a vote. So anyway here's chapter 13.

* * *

-(Planeptune/ A week after the kidnapping)-

"Hey hot stuff. How about you and me go to the back real quick and-"

"Yo, mind if I step in?"

"Huh?"

*PAWNCH*

"GAH!"

With a swift jab, the drunken man harassing a young female NPC was sent flying across the guild, which just so happens turns into quite the social nightclub under the not so careful watch of old man Sid.

While his official name is Shunsuke Idachi Date, a former Dragoon from Leanbox (Or so Ryou was told), but after he retired in the closing stages of the Console War and settled in Planeptune and eventually becoming the head of one of the Guilds, he always preferred people to call him Sid. Mainly for the fact that his name was equally ridiculous as it was long

By day, it's your standard Guild where agents take on missions for the Basilicom or to make a living. At night however, it turns into a social club/bar for Guild members and other NPCs to hang out after a long day of questing. Hell, just tonight, he spotted IF, one of Neptunes friends, hanging around with a couple of her friends a little while ago.

...And a few minutes later, he saw her kicking some poor sap in the nuts for trying to get touchy-feely with her. The girls pretty cool, he'll give her that much.

"Why you little prick!"

The generic rapist looking drunkard lunged at the boy that stepped in, hoping to connect his fist with his face. As for why Ryou is here, well...

"*Sigh* how did I go from being an A Class agent to doing grunt work...oh well...Acceleration I guess."

Ryou Ayumu, former B Class agent, on his way to being promoted to A Class...

*WOOSH*

"What the!? Where'd you-?"

"Behind you."

"Wah?! OOF!"

...now works at the Planeptune 'night club (?)" as a bouncer for Sid.

Little effort was needed for this, Ryou simply ran up behind the man, tapped his shoulder holding out his arm next to the drunkards face and gravity pretty much did the rest. Out of surprise the man turned his head with such force it was as if Ryou hit him with a fist to the face. After this, the man fell flat on his face and was seeing stars.

"So boring...clean up on isle 3!" Ryou said as he gave a deep sigh and a slightly annoyed expression.

"So you're knocking people out left and right, eh kid?" Sid showed up cigarette in his mouth lit and all.

"If you consider walking up behind someone and holding out my arm knocking someone out, then yeah, I suppose I am."

"Fair enough. I suppose I did hire you for this type of business anyway."

After reading that dreaded letter from Hideyoshi himself, Ryou's entire world was turned upside down. All the work he'd done up till now just seemed like a complete and utter waste of time. He was no longer an A-Class or even B-Class agent, he was now just a regular male NPC doing a bunch of jobs at the guild to get by along with a night time gig at Sid's.

Granted, Histoire did offer him to stay at the Basilicom, but he was too proud and stubborn to take such a handout, even if Yamato did make the arrangements before falling off the radar. That and to him, it didn't feel right staying there...not to mention, he absolutely did NOT want to live under the same roof as a certain air-head of a goddess.

"Welp I'm clocking out gramps." Ryou called out to Sid much to his annoyance.

"Hey, I thought I told ya not to call me gramps!"

"Yeah, yeah. See ya tomorrow." Ryou said leaving without a care in the world, waltzing right out of the guild and into the nighttime streets of Planeptune.

As he continued to make his way out of the guild Ryou glanced up at the moon.

"Damn, no matter how many times I see that thing, it always puts my mind at ease."

Ryou said putting on a trademark smirk. Watching the moon late at night always put his mind at ease during chaotic times. He doesn't know why exactly but it did for as long as he could remember. The past week had been a roller coaster of emotions for him. Not only did his dream of becoming an A-Class agent complete vanish, his mentor/older brother figure going MIA, but now he was stuck doing odd jobs in a nation he wasn't very fond of for many reasons.

While he'd normally have a lot to say, for now the main reason for that is Neptunes presence. Sure in HDD she may be sort of Ryou's type, although he'd never admit it, but it's not like she could stay that way forever. She needs to transform back to normal eventually and that side of her he just can't stand, to the point where he would even consider Nepgear at least a hundred times more tolerable. He may as well move somewhere else just to get away.

"Living in Lastation may be my best bet..." Ryou spoke quietly out loud as he began to walk once again leisurely with a bit of a "too cool for school" strut, his arm bent holding his small bag which had the nick-knacks he brought to work.

"But...it means I'll probably run into her..." he sighed as his face turned into a disheartened yet annoyed expression. The girl he'd been thinking about for a while now. The girl who's smile he wanted to see again for some strange reason.

"Tch! Freaking Tsunderian." Ryou said in an annoyed tone, almost as if he was blaming Noire for his new found affection for her, of course he wasn't willing to ever admit it to her.

"Maybe that dive thing triggered something. I should probably go to a clinic or talk to Histoire to get checked out. Whatever this is, it sure as hell ain't normal, nope." Ryou said as he continued home in denial.

Continuing back Ryou decided to glance over at his cellphone, secretly hoping that Yamato or hell anyone from LOGIN would contact him...except maybe Mitsuo. That guy always gave him the creeps.

"Lesse here." To Ryou's surprise, he saw an unread text from someone he didn't expect. "...Gear? Wonder what she wants?" They exchanged numbers before parting ways, but of course Ryou being the semi dense harem lead, didn't question the exchange much.

[Ryou, I hope you're doing well...goodness I hope I'm not bothering you...I'm texting you from my N-Gear. Isn't that neat heheh.]

"This girl, hehe." Ryou said, but surprisingly was not annoyed to hear from Nepgear. Since last time he sort of warmed up to the Candidate. He figured since they actually talked in better circumstances, he's not as annoyed with her, if not anymore. The rest of the message basically talked about her day and how things have been lately. She also mentioned Histoire would be keeping a better eye on Neptune much to Ryou's relief, and also apologized for her behavior.

Ever since he left, Neptune had been trying to find him and *ahem* seduce him since nothing seemed to be getting in her way. The result...let's just say that Ryou should probably think about getting a restraining order. Either that or have them put Neptune on a leash.

"Hm. Okay guess I should reply." Ryou said out loud in a less then confident tone. For some reason now all the stupid quirks Gear had that Ryou thought were nuisances now seemed sort of...cute. As soon as that crossed his mind, Ryou turned slightly red.

"Yeah, first thing tomorrow, I'm goin' to the clinic. These symptoms are starting to really mess with me...stupid Dive." He said once again in LOGINs abrupt disband, there wasn't much else to pledge his loyalty to. His mind now had time to wander.

Maybe he was opening up to the idea of romance since experiencing his first technical date with Noire in her dream world? Maybe the hormones he's had that were once only focused on fighting were starting to let loose? Maybe he was just lonely now. He had no one, not LOGIN, not Yamato, not Uzume.

"Tch, so this is what it's like to be alone huh? *Sigh* Man, this sucks."

"I couldn't agree more hmhm."

"Huh?! Who's there?"

Ryou replied as he ready himself for combat.

"My my, is that any way to talk to a lady?"

"A...lady?" Hearing this, he turned his head to where the voice came from.

...and his jaw almost dropped to the pavement upon seeing who it was.

[BGM playing: Verts theme ~ from Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory]

Standing right behind him was a young woman that was almost his height with fair skin, long blonde hair tied in a pony-tail and deep blue eyes behind a pair of thin-rimmed glances. She's wearing a light-green, long-sleeved turtleneck, a sage green skirt that reaches just below her knees, black stockings and a pair of high-heels.

What really surprised him was that this 'lady' practically had the body of a top model. Long slender legs, nice hips, and most importantly...

("Damn. Those melons are bigger than her head.") Ryou thought to himself as he focused some of his attention to the blondes enormous breasts.

"*Giggles* It would seem that I've caught your attention."

"Uuuuh..." Ryou was at a lost for words, and who could blame him? While it has been a pretty strange time for him, he certainly wasn't expecting this. He'd admit (in his head anyways) that Noire was pretty beautiful, the woman in front of him was on a completely different level.

"Oh. I take it that my appearance has rendered you speechless?" The blonde lightly teased, instantly snapping Ryou out of his daze and causing him to back up a little.

"H-Hey! Don't sneak up on people like that!" Ryou snapped back at the blonde, mostly in a (failed) attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"Hehehe. Come now, no need to be so flustered. I was merely speaking in jest."

"Yeah well, you're acting awfully friendly for someone I just met."

"Oh. You are right, where are my manners." The blonde proceeded to give Ryou a graceful bow, almost akin to that of a princess. "My name is Vert. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, mister..."

"...O-Oh right. *Ahem*" Ryou straightens himself up and follow suit. "The name's Ayumu. Ryou Ayumu. Nice to meetcha. So, what takes ya here?" He asked, not really knowing what else to say.

"I'm glad you asked. I came here to acquire something of great importance, but I could only obtain it at this hour. However, it would seem I'm in a bit of a bind."

"And what would that be?"

"The place I needed to go to is in a much more, how shall I say, seedier side of Planeptune."

("Seedier side? I know Planeptune had some minor crimes going around, but this is new.") Ryou thought to himself as Vert continued on.

"Therefore, I thought it would be in my best interest to find someone who would be so kind as to escort me until I've got what I needed."

"And you so happen to think I'm the right choice?"

"Precisely. You certainly seem like a dependable young man yourself."

"Hehe, you've got good eyes madame. I am pretty awesome if I do say so myself."

("Yeah, even though I got screwed out of becoming a hero...not that she knows that.")

"Hmhmhm, Indeed. Now, before we do anything else, do you mind if I call you Ryou?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, sure. No skin off my nose. Though in return, mind if I call you Vert?"

"You certainly may." Vert answered, giving Ryou a charming and graceful smile, causing the young man to blush.

("Damn. if it weren't for her cloths, people would probably mistake her for a princess. Hell, even a Goddess.") Ryou (ironically) thought to himself.

"Now Ryou, would you be so kind as to be my escort?" Vert asked politely as she extended her hand to Ryou. Figuring that he has nothing else going on besides going home, Ryou reached for her hand with few hesitations and gave her a firm handshake.

"You got yourself a deal Vert. If anyone even thinks about groping you he's going to get his ass Dragon Kicked into the milky way, hehe." Ryou answered.

"Then I am in your hands Ryou." Vert replied, taking another bow. Though in the process, her enormous breasts swayed slightly, causing Ryou to flinch a little, silently noting whether or not she's wearing a bra right now...for some odd reason.

"Alright. Now that that's settled, where are we going?"

-Few minutes later-

"Damn. Didn't know this place was here."

"Indeed. You could say that this place is the underbelly of the land of purple progress."

Ryou and Vert were currently walking within was seems to be an older and rundown section within Planeptune, the usual bright lights and busy streets of the metropolis earlier is now replaced with older and ill-maintained lights, quite a few poor and some very unsavory individuals crossing there paths, and the abandoned buildings around them are about 2 stories at best, instead of the tall skyscrapers usually seen.

Ryou knew that out of all of the four nations, Planeptune seemed to be the safest when it came to crime, so seeing something like this is nothing less of a surprise to him.

("Still, this place pales in comparison to the Slums back home.") Ryou mused to himself, the memories he had growing up in the Lastation Slums still fresh on his mind. He soon turned his gaze to Vert, who at a glance doesn't seem all that bothered by what's around her, though upon closer inspection, Ryou could definitely tell that she is keeping her guard up.

He doesn't really blame her for it, not at all. If it were just Vert or someone with similar 'assets' right now, some of the thugs they passed by (one of which Ryou falcon kicked with little effort) would eat her alive.

"So Vert?" Ryou called, catching her attention.

"Yes?"

"Do ya think we're close to that place you mentioned?" Vert turned her gaze away from Ryou to look on ahead, scanning the area in front of them to see where they might be right now.

"...There. See that neon yellow banner?" Vert pointed out dead ahead. Following it, Ryou quickly spotted a neon banner in the shape of what looks like a manga. Reading the sign right next to it was [P-List Adult Manga Store]

"Yep, I see it."

("What the hell is a store like that doing here?") Ryou thought to himself as they both picked up the pace to there destination, stopping right in front of the store, which had metal bars across the windows and doors to probably prevent someone from breaking in.

"Alright, we're here. So, need me to come with?"

"I think I shall be fine from here. You can stay out here in case something happens."

"Fair enough." Ryou replied as he casually leaned onto the bars as Vert made her way in to the store...

"...Oh, and also." Vert peaked her head out the door. "If you happen to see a young woman with red eyes and mint-green hair, please do be careful." She advised before heading back in.

"...OK." Ryou said plainly as he leaned back onto the bars as a small band of thugs passed by into a nearby ally. Alone with visibly no one else around, Ryou soon became lost in his own thoughts.

[Music fades]

("Alright, lets recap on all the crap that's happened recently. First off, LOGIN somehow disbanded straight the hell out of nowhere, crushing my dream of being a hero to dust. Second, Yamato completely fell off the map and is no where to be found. Next, I'm working as a regular NPC taking guild quests and working as a bouncer for the old man just to get by, and now here I am escorting a girl that can easily pass off as a goddess in a scum infested street in the middle of the night. *Sigh* things have been really strange lately let me tell ya. It's like I'm in some sub-par fanfiction or so-")

"Hey! You over there."

"Hmm?" Snapping Ryou back into reality, he turned his attention towards the source of the voice that called out to him. turning to his side, he spotted, big shocker, another looker of a girl.

She may not be as curvy as Vert, but this woman is pretty busty in her own right. She has light skin with very long, curly mint colored hair worn in a high ponytail with a black and green bow, with few bangs and long curls of hair framing her face and her eyes are an almond-red color. She wears a revealing black dress with long boots and gloves that end at her wrist, along with a black neck piece with a white sphere in the center that has a small green x in the center and two small pieces of purple cloth. On both hips, she also has black ribbon-cloth segments that have longer cloth pieces dangling from both sides with green sparkled coloring inside. The skirt is practically non-existent on the dress, being a simple cloth in front of her lower area.

("Hmm. this must be the chick Vert told me about. *sigh* Guess I should just see what she needs, else I'm probably going to get my ass kicked.") He thought to himself as he directs his attention to the mint-haired girl.

"Wha? Are you talking to me?" He asked jabbing a thumb at himself, as she walked up to him.

"Of course. You seem to be only somewhat decent guy in this part of Planeptune."

"Well, you're not wrong there."

"Anyways, I am in a middle of an important mission, so I need to ask you something very quick." She exclaimed, stopping just right in front of Ryou.

"Alright. Shoot." He replied. The next moment, the young woman reached into her cleavage, causing Ryous eye to twitch slightly, and pulled out a photograph for him to see.

"Have you by any chance have seen this woman anywhere? I've been searching for her for hours now and I've come up dry on leads." She asked as Ryou took a better look at the photo.

("Hmmm...wait, what the hell? Is that Vert?") He thought to himself as he analyzed the photo a bit, seeing that Verts appearance changed dramatically.

She was not wearing glasses in the photo and her hair is let down straight instead of in a ponytail. Vert wears an emerald green dress with gold markings with big/loose light green and white gloves with matching boots, has a big peach colored bow on the back of her long white skirt, a white and green collar around her neck with a gold accessory, a small blue gem and red ribbon in the center, all connected to a very thin white cloth connecting the dress and neck piece together.

Ryou knew that Vert had the demeanor of a princess, but to him, this picture is just taking it literally.

("...Now that I think about it, she and this chick have some similar tastes.") Ryou noted as he changed his focus from the photograph to the girl holding it, seeing the similarities and the differences.

"Hey! Eyes up here bucko! I swear all of you men are just the same..."

"Hey there, you're not exactly doing yourself any favors walking around in that outfit." Ryou retorted.

"Wha!? Why you-!?"

"Besides, where the hell was I suppose to look having a cute girl like you standing in front of me wearing that!?"

"Eh?" The young woman simply froze in place and began blushing beet red, with Ryou following suit, quickly catching onto what he just said.

("Wait, the hell did I just say!?") He thought to himself as she quickly backed up a few steps.

"W-W-W-What are you saying all of a sudden? T-Telling such things to a pure maiden like me so easily..." She stuttered as she poked her fingers together. However, she quickly shook herself out of her embarrassed stupor and look dead straight at him. "*AHEM* Back on topic, have you seen her? Yes or No?"

"...Oh yeah, I've seen here." Ryou replied casually.

"Really!? Where!? Where is my dear Vert!?" Chika inquired as she closed the distance between then and grabbed his collar, as Ryou silently noted that 1. this chick does not know the meaning of personal space, and 2. she seems really obsessed over Vert here.

"She went down that alley over there a little while ago..." Ryou lied as he pointed to the alley down the street. "Although I did remember some goofy looking dudes went down there as well a few minutes ago."

"WHA!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"

"Positive." He replied as the woman looked down towards the alley with a death glare as she rushed down towards it.

"Oh, wait almost forgot." She skid to a stop and ran back to Ryou. "Thanks for the help, mister..."

"Names Ryou Ayumu. Yours?"

"Chika Hakozaki. now if you excuse me..." Chika trailed off as she materialized a lance, much to Ryous surprise, and ran back towards the alley. "Hold on dearest, I'm coming for you!"

Upon hitting the corner, Ryou heard the voices of several young men, presumably calling Chika out, some even whistling. Seconds later however, those whispers were replaced with screams of pain and terror as Chika seemed to be clearing them out. Ryou suspicions were confirmed when one of the gangsters he saw earlier come flying out of the alley and hit the pavement face first as the cries died down.

"Shoot. She must've made her escape. Oooh, where could she be?" He overheard Chikas worried voice as it became more distant, indicating that she is walking further away. "Dearest! Vert! Where are you!?" That was the last thing he heard as she walked away.

Before he did anything else, Ryou waited for a moment in case Chika came straight back. After a few minutes passed, he casually knocked on the door of the shop with the back of his hand.

"Vert, you can come on out now. She's gone." Soon enough, Vert walked out of the small shop, now carrying a small plastic bag with her.

"Thank you Ryou. I did not expect Chika to come here so soon."

"No worries. I'd be a little paranoid too if I had someone like that tailing me..." Ryou trailed off, with a certain purple-airhead coming to his mind regarding the topic.

*Shudder*

"You will have to forgive her. She can be very over-protective of me."

"Over-protective? That's putting it mildly." Ryou retorted. "So, you know her?"

"Yes actually. She's a rather close friend of mine."

"Hmm...define 'Close'."

"That...is a secret, hmhmhm." Vert teased as she gave him a wink.

"Alright, anyways. Ya got what you needed?" Not wanting to lose face, Ryou decided to change topics before things went down 'that' route.

"Of course. Thanks to you, I have everything I need. here, take a look." she offered as she opened and presented the bag to him. Thinking 'what the hell' and throwing caution to the wind, Ryou took a quick look inside...and he immediately regretted doing so. His features contorted in disgust as his face took on a sickly green.

The contents of the bag seems like your standard fair of cosplay products and visual novels, but the main things that took up the majority of the bag was manga. And to Ryous horror...

They were all Yaoi.

"Um, excuse me Vert." Ryou excused himself whilst covering his mouth. Finding the nearest trashcan, he didn't even think twice as he opened the lid and barfed everything he ate today in one fell-swoop. After he was finished, he wiped off what was left on his forearm and hobbled his way back, the fact of Vert being an Otaku/Fujoshi now registering in his head.

"My! Are you alright Ryou?" Vert asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Here, let me get that." Before he could protest, Vert took out a small hanker-chief from her back pocket and wiped away what little was left off of Ryous cheek. Caught off guard, Ryou just stood there momentarily as Vert went to work, all the while unconsciously taking in her scent.

("She smells pretty nice.") Ryou mused, wondering if this is perfume or her natural scent as Vert finished wiping his face.

"Better?" She asked politely.

"B-Better." He answered, shaking himself out of whatever kind of land his mind was at the moment. "So, do ya think you'll be alright, or do you need me to walk you home?"

"*Giggles* a tempting offer, but I shall politely decline. I think I can take care of myself from here." Vert answered while giving Ryou another bow. "I thank you for your assistance Ryou. It was much appreciated."

"No big Vert."

Vert then proceeded to turn around and walk a few steps a head of Ryou before turning back.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Ryou, if it's not too much trouble, do you mind if we exchange numbers?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure, no prob." Ryou replied, not really knowing the subtext of her question. They both took there cellphones out and quickly exchanged numbers.

"There. With that, this would now make the two of us friends."

"Friends, huh?" Ryou pondered on that thought for a moment. "Yeah, I kinda like the sound of that."

"Hmhmhm, the feeling is mutual Ryou." Vert giggled with a healthy blush. "Now I must be off. I think I have worried Chika for far too long now."

"Yeah sure. Catch ya later Vert." Ryou waved as they parted ways.

"The same to you, Ryou~." Vert replied, giving him a wink and a peace sign as she walked away.

Walking back onto the main street of Planeptune and took a deep breath as he turned his gaze back up to the midnight sky.

"Man, this whole week overall sucks dogoo jelly...but I guess it's not all bad." He admitted as he absentmindedly looked into a mirror in a nearby shop. Looking at his own features, he was sporting a healthy blush and a really goofy smile. Upon seeing this, he violently shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts as he made his way back home.

"That settles it. Something is really wrong with me."

-(The Next Morning)-

In a small village within the neutral lands of Gameindustri, an elderly man was putting wood in a fireplace within his cottage. Snapping his fingers together, and by some sort of magic, sparked a fire in full roar. As he set up a pot of what seems to be some sort of alchemic mixture over it, he hobbled to his chair and began stroking his beard in thought.

"*Deep Sigh* I still can't believe that boy actually defeated the Dark Plague." The elder said to himself as he recalled last weeks events.

He and the other villagers were preparing for another attack from the mysterious yet bloodthirstily creature, when all of a sudden, a black-haired teenaged youth came out of nowhere and declared that he would slay the beast. Granted, based on what he said, the elder confirmed that it would be more for his own gain rather than helping them, but never the less he was grateful for the lad, which is a lot more than he could say for the other villagers. Though amongst those moments, there were two things that were off to him.

"Just where did that beast come from? Though it had the appearance of a Fenrir, it looked very different. As far as to my knowledge, there is no known species of Fenrir that could walk on two legs. What worries me more was how it acted. It seemed very feral in nature and attack anything that came near, sometimes sporadically. In fact, it almost seemed...'Delusional'."

"And as for that young man...he really acts like your typical harem lead, only that he seems very full of himself. But the energy and aura he emitted off...it was very similar, if not the same as the Goddesses themselves...Could he be-?"

"Grandfather, I'm home!" The elder was dragged out of his thoughts by the sound of a cheerful yet warmly familiar voice.

"Aw, Hikaru. Welcome back my boy. How did everything go?" He asked as the familiar brown-haired, scarf-wearing boy, now named Hikaru, walk in from there front door and slipped his shoes off into a nearby cubby.

"Not very much. Even with the Dark Plague gone, the monsters still haven't returned. Still, I got as much as I could." Hikaru answered his grandfather as he presented him with a small bag. Gratefully accepting the bag, the elder looked into it and then looked back to Hikaru, who waited anxiously for his grandfathers response.

"You did good my child. This will do just fine." He warmly replied as he extended a hand toward his grandson and gently patted him on the head, earning a smile from the boy in turn. The elder slowly got up from his chair, walked over to the pot over the fire and poured some of the bags contents into it, causing the mixture in the pot to take a strange pastel color and started to boil more. The elder then gave the mixture a slow, counter-clockwise turn and by using a similar magic from earlier, calmed the flames to let it settle.

"Alright. it should be done within a few hours. Hopefully the village Cleric would make great use of this, now that monster is finally gone."

"Yeah. It was really scary. I wonder where it came from? I've never seen a monster like that before." Hikaru spoke up.

"I know not either Hikaru. Most likely it wasn't even of this world to begin with."

"Eh! Really? Do you think so?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it is the most reasonable answer." The elder replied. Earning a nod from his grandson, Hikaru walked on over to a nearby bookshelf, picked out a rather big textbook, took a seat near the fireplace and began reading it in silence.

As the elder looked upon his grandson, content with reading his book, he decided to return his thoughts to the young man from yesterday. He clearly remembered the aura he gave off as he strode to where the beast was hiding, and it was incredibly similar to that of the CPUs and Candidates. Thinking that, he recalled a very ancient, yet rather generic prophecy told by the CPUs of old:

[...When Gameindustri faces a time of great crisis and strife, where the unseen line between dream and reality begins to blur, a young warrior shall ascend to a higher plain and fight alongside the Goddesses to vanquish all that threatens the land...]

That legend, while these days sounds like a heap of rubbish, still holds some truth. Gameindustri has faced several crisis' over the years, both before, during and even shortly after the Console War, but none have come close to the level that it describes. Moreover, he originally thought that the warrior the prophecy described was "That" man, but alas it was untrue to him...

...For that same man was responsible for, to this day, one of the greatest incidents Gameindustri has faced. One that none of the few survivors, him included, and even the Goddesses themselves would ever forget for as long as they live. One so shockingly cold, it was, ironically, the catalyst to the Wars end. An incident from 12 years ago, simply known as: "The Bloody Advent".

-Flash back/ 12 years ago-

[BGM playing: Whirlpool of Fate ~ from Fate/Stay Night]

"Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa..." The elder struggled to breath on his own, much less stand on his two legs as he tried to get back up.

"Gah!" Only for him to collapse back onto his knees. Taking a few more breaths, he looked at his surroundings. There was only one word to describe his surroundings:

Hell.

Dark, thunderous clouds completely covered the skies, dead, rotting and mangled bodies litter the entire battlefield, machines and weapons of war destroyed far beyond repair, the landscape itself was burned, torn asunder and completely covered in a sea of blood, almost as if this alone embodies all the crimes committed both by the people of the lands, and the Goddesses themselves.

This was just another battle between the four great nations during the days of the Console War, with he himself as a Mage Knight within White Hearts forces. But in an instant, men and women from all four sides were utterly slaughtered. Some of them were practically unrecognizable.

He was lucky that he was still breathing, much less as injured as he is, especially since, at this moment, he is staring at the back of the culprit behind his genocide...the man that single-handedly wiped out entire forces from Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee and Leanbox combined.

The man had dark brown hair, with his front bangs covering his face being ivory white, wore a single, black, skin-tight armored vest, torn, dark green pants with a scale pattern running across its surface along with a brown, dragonic-skin belt, and tall, brown boots with iron plating both at the heels and the toes.

He doesn't look all that much, but if he could just look at his face, shadowed by his hair, he would see that the man had the image like that of a hungry beast all over his entire expression. A face of a man who has succumbed to his malice and hate.

The man spoke, but the elder could not make out what he was saying. Was he asking something? Was he calling out to someone?

The elder checked his form again, and suddenly noticed a black hair ribbon clutched tightly in his hand. In an instant, He remembered that a village nearby got caught in the crossfire, and almost everyone died, either from friendly fire or by men from all four nations fighting amongst the townfolk. Not even children were spared from the carnage. Then it clicked to him...

...Could that have belonged to someone he knew? Family? A friend? A Lover?

He did not know. All that he did know is that something happened, and that triggered this person to take up arms and fought not just one, but all the forces from each and every known nation in Gameindustri. but to have the power to actually do so, and to barely even get a scratch from it all.

...The elder then wondered to himself if this man was even human.

At this point, most ran away from the man in a mad attempt to escape with there lives, all the while praying to there respective goddesses for salvation. Others, however...

"Demon-spawn!"

"Freak!"

"You will pay for your crimes, you monster!"

The few that remained stood tall in front of the man, some quaking in fear, others in anger. No doubt someone they cared for were killed by this mans hands as well.

"...You all plan to kill me now?" The man finally spoke normally, loud enough for the elder to hear him, and with melancholy and tranquil fury lacing every word, as if indirectly telling them 'You should've killed me when you had the chance.'

"Grr! Don't you mock us!" A Soldier, who from the looks of his appearance is within Lastations army, blindly charged at the man, broadsword held high and ready to strike the man down. Just as he was within striking range...

"...Useless." The man before him quickly clocked his left fist back and punched just as fast. What shocked the elder was that not only did it utterly destroy the soldiers sword, the shrapnel cutting away at his face, but the force from his punch as so strong, that it left a gaping hole in the soldiers chest. Death was instantaneous for the soldier, as he immediately collapsed before the man.

"Monster! Die!" Immediately after the Lastation soldier fell, a woman dragoon within Leanboxes forces, charged straight toward him, readying her spear. A meter from him, she planted the spear into the ground and high-jumped to his current position, aiming for his head.

"...Useless." just as the long spear reached him, he tilted his head away from the speed and grabbed it with his left. That took literally a nanosecond for him to do. And with the same amount of god-speed, he yanked the spear away from the dragoon while she was still falling.

"Wha?" She barely had any time to react since all that happened so fast. As she slowly fell, he clocked back her spear and rammed it straight at her, penetrating her armor and piercing her heart, with the inertia from the fall impaling her further down her own spear. Lifting her up on the spear, the man took aim and threw the spear straight to a nearby and intact boulder with the woman still in the spear itself. As she was stuck where she was, she frantically tried to remove herself, but she lost too much blood too fast, and she used the remainder of her strength to puke out more of her own blood before dying.

All that took only a few seconds. The elder knew that this mans capabilities were unimaginable, but to see them first hand...its just unreal.

"Ah..." Only one person was left. It was a Lowee mage, one that looks far too young to be out on the battlefield, much less this one. She looked terrified of the man before her, but she was too afraid to even move. From the elders point of view, the man simple stood there, most likely glaring at the girl.

"G-G-Ge Ge-" She was so scared, she could barely get a word out and was sweating profusely. He could've swore she also urinated herself as well. She simply stood there like a statue for what seemed like eternity, until finally...

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screeched out as she casted a spell at him, a massive tundra making its way to him. The man stood there completely unfazed.

"...It's useless. No matter hard you may try, I can never be defeated." He said quietly as he tucked the ribbon into his pocket, clocked his right fist back, and from what the elder could interpret at the time, was gathering some sort of crimson energy into his fist. In that same instant...

*BANG!*

"Guaaaa!" The elder was sent flying due to the mere shockwave coming from the mans attack. The next moment he hit the ground, everything just went black. The next time he opened his eyes, he could barely see what was going on. He could see the man before him is still standing, signifying that the girl is now dead like the rest of them. But what caught him by surprise was there were now four more figures, each of them dawning the color of Purple, Black, White and Green, all floating above the man.

When the elders eyes regained focus, he knew almost immediately who these people were. They were the Goddesses of Gameindustri: The CPUs. He was too far away from all of them and his strength then was fading fast, so he could not see any of there expressions, nor could they hear them speak. What he could tell however was more than enough to tell him what might happen next. The aura that the man was displaying, his malice at its peak:

...No doubt, he plans to end there lives here. And from the looks of the CPUs drawn weapons, they don't plan on giving him any quarter either.

With all five combatants ready, rain finally poured down onto the battlefield, and the land was torn further asunder by the lightning that followed. The mans fists were ready to meet with the Goddesses head on. Before the elders vision faded, and was rendered unconscious...He could only hear one simple thing.

"If you really are Goddesses, grant me a miracle. If you cannot, or will not..."

[BGM stop]

"THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR ANY OF YOU TO EXIST!"

-Flashback end-

"Grandfather?" The soft voice of his grandson snapped the elder out of his reminiscence of the tragedy. Looking to Hikaru, he could see that the young boy looked very worried about him, his eyes looking directly at his and his closed book tightly grasped into his chest.

"Y-Yes? what is it Hikaru?" The elder replied, shacking off the memory of old from his mind.

"Are you OK? You look like you were having a nightmare." Seeing his grandsons worry, the elder simply smiled to him.

"It is nothing my boy. Your grandfather was simply reminiscing for a moment."

"Were you...remembering bad times?"

"Some, but not all of them. don't trouble yourself Hikaru. what's in the past is in the past." The elder gave him another pat on the head for reassurance.

"...OK." While hesitant, Hikaru turned around and walked back to his spot near the fireplace and continued reading his book.

With his mind at ease, the elders thoughts went back unto the young man they met yesterday.

("What was the lads name? ...Oh yes, I believe he called himself Ryou Ayumu.") He thought to himself as he recalled him as well as the legend. While the young man attitude says otherwise, his skill and aura seem to match what the prophecy has described. Not only that, but with the appearance of the Dark Plague, as well as the CPU Shift period not being very far off, the elder could not shake the feeling of an ominous premonition.

("But if he truly is...") "Hikaru?"

"Hmm? Yes grandfather?" Hikaru poked his head out of his book and looked to the elder curiously.

"I need you to deliver something for me."

"Huh? Why?"

"You'll know in a moment. for now, wait right there." The elder told him as he got up from his chair and hobbled to the back of the cottage. Rummaging through the back, Hikaru just looked on, wondering what it might be about. When the elder came back to him, Hikaru accidentally dropped his book as he flinched in surprise as she sees what his grandfather pulled out.

The elder held, in both hands, a double-edged broadsword that was at least 5 foot in length, 10 inches wide and a quarter of an inch thick. The blade itself was mainly colored black with red lines running through the middle making a diamond shape near the tip and two red jewels, one near the center of the blade, and one on the guard. the edges are a faded silver, turning a rusty shade of red around the tip. The guard of the blade itself was copper colored and as wide as the blade itself, and the hilt and grip were simply fine-aged leather wrapped around itself.

The elder put the blade on a nearby work-bench and felt around the edges of the blade. The elder then held the middle down with one hand as the other reached for the grip and pulled on it away from the blade. Much to his grandsons surprise, He pulled the grip out of the blade, revealing it actually had a longsword in the broadsword, with the longsword again being double edged, but is entirely made of silverish steel.

The Elder looked at his own reflection off the sword, seeing if there was any imperfections on it at all.

"Hmm. You have not lost any of your luster, even after all this time... Aurondight." The elder spoke to it as if addressing an old companion. He then sheathed the sword back into its scabbard/blade hybrid and locked it back on whatever was holding it together. He then grabbed for something on the work-bench and applied it onto the blade.

Turning around to his grandson with the sword in his hands, now adorning a leather strap around the blade, presumably to carry it around without risking cutting off your hands.

"Now Hikaru, hold out your hands." Though hesitant, Hikaru did as he was told as his grandfather walked to him and gently placed the blade safely in his small arms. Despite its size, the blade being almost as wide as Hikaru himself, in the boys arms it was about as light as the book he just held.

"T-This is your old sword. Why are you giving me this? I don't need it?" Hikaru inquired, confused and a little startled at what his grandfather gave him. Seeing his skepticism, the elder got down on one knee and place a hand onto his grandsons shoulder.

"Hikaru, do you remember the young man that passed by our village yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"Do you remember?"

"Umm...I think his name was, Ryou Ayumu. He had black hair, shining blue eyes, and seemed to be wearing old soldier clothes. Why?"

"I need you to go out and deliver this to him. With luck, he may still be in Planeptune at this time, so you should be able to find him."

"Eh!? But why?"

"Call it... my intuition, but I have had a feeling that young mans fate is tied to the Goddesses and Gameindustri itself. He'll probably need this more than I do."

"I don't know. He didn't look very friendly. He seemed very arrogant and carefree, and didn't even seemed to care about your warning. That and he seemed more eager to fighting the Dark Plague than anything else. Why anyone enjoys fighting, I'll never know." Hikaru answered, giving his honest thoughts of the LOGIN agent. Despite that...

"I wonder where all that courage comes from? He may act pretty dumb, but its still really inspiring."

"Hahahaha. As honest as always my boy!"

"Oh, shoot! I said that out loud, didn't I!? I'm sorry grandfather!" Hikaru gave a quick and deep bow, clearly embarrassed about voicing his thoughts like that.

"No need my boy. I understand." The elder replied, with Hikaru rising again slowly.

"I shall admit he seemed a bit too rash for his own good, but I could still sense good in him. Again, call it intuition, but he seems destined for great things."

"I don't know..."

"That, and this little trip could be a good experience for you as well. After all, you don't plan on staying here in the village for the rest of your days now, do you?"

"*Gasp*!" Hikaru jumped slightly in place, caught completely off guard by his granfathers statement. Chuckling to himself, clearly hitting a bulls-eye, the elder gave a stern look to him as he brush past some of his bangs and cupped his cheek.

"Now my grandson. I know it seems rather frightening to go out on your own, especially making such a long trip, but please understand. Though you are brilliant in the art of magic and academics, you are coming of the age where you need to think more for yourself. Go out and broaden your horizon. Explore more of what Gameindustri has to offer. Meet new people, find new discoveries. Don't just waste your life living in this small village of ours."

"Grandfather..."

"I know this may seem harsh, but trust me when I say that whatever I do, I always have you in mind. Everyone has to grow up eventually, and now it's your turn to do so. I've already taught you as much as I could. Only you can take these first steps on your own out there. But just know that even if it is true, you always have a home to return to here. Do you understand?"

"...OK grandfather. I understand." While his movements and eyes seemed doubtful, his voice tells the elder that he's at least determined to try.

Satisfied with his answer, with a nod and a pat on the back, the elder stood up and made his way to the door and opened it up. Upon the mid-morning light seeping through the entrance, the elder stood aside and motioned his hand towards the door to his grandson.

"After you then." The elder said to him with a warm smile. While he was still hesitant at first, Hikaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them back up, he nodded to his grandfather confidently. Hikaru strapped the sword 'Aurondight' onto his back and began marching towards the door. Before he could actually go out, he suddenly stopped for a moment.

"Hmm? what's wrong Hikaru?" Upon his grandfathers question, Hikaru looked to him with a strong look...only for it to falter and turn to one of confusion.

"Um, grandfather. Where is Planeptune?" Hikaru asked credulously.

"Hmhmhmhm. It's just a few miles south from the village. You know you're there when you see a large purple and white tower looming over a city. It's hard to miss."

"OK. Thank you. I'll see you when I get back." Hikaru said, as he walked out of the cottage.

"You're welcome my boy. Take care."

"I will grandfather!" Hikaru waved goodbye as he jogged along the dirt path in front to Planeptune.

"Take care my grandson." With that, the elder simple walked back into the cottage and took a seat in his chair, slowly nodding off into slumber, but not before uttering one last thing.

"...and whatever happens...stay determined."


	14. Enter The Megadimension

A/N- This took longer than expected, sorry about that, life keeps us busy. Anyway, here's an extra long chapter to make up for it & finally advancing to meet the childhood friend in Chapter 15, Uzume Tennoboshi (however you spell it).

* * *

"Alright Mr. Ayumu. Say 'Aaaaah'."

"Aaaaah." Ryou opened his mouth wide, looking bored and somewhat annoyed as Compa of all people puts a thermometer in there as she checks his temperature.

After sleeping in til almost noon due to last nights events, Ryou decided to head straight to the clinic in hopes of getting answers to just what the hell's been going on with him lately. He did consider consulting Histoire about it since he all but knows for a fact that the 'Dive' had something to do with it, but to put it lightly, he'd rather fight Yamato at his absolute best than go anywhere near Neptune.

...little did he know that he would run into one of her besties instead. Particularly Compa, the busty, cream-haired nurse that patched him up after his first run-in with Ryuko.

On what little time they had talking to each other, he figured that One, she was a massive ditz, and Two, she was some kind of nurse in training due to how tight some of his bandages were. While he was on the nose about both those assumptions, he sure as hell wasn't expecting her to be an actual nurse.

And what really got him by surprise was the fact that, despite looking very young, she is older than him, as mentioned by a fellow 'patient' (if you could call some dude ogling her that.) that she was about 19 to 20 years old, being a friend of the CPU since she was a nurse in training a few years back.

But enough of this pointless info, lets get back onto the story.

"Hmm." Compa carefully pulled the thermometer out of his mouth and checked the temperature. "...Yep. Your temperature is the normal 98.6 degrees." She chirps happily. She then puts the thermometer into her breast pocket and puts on a stethoscope.

"Now, pull up your shirt please."

"...Fine." He response casually, pulling up the front of his shirt for the nurse. He waited a few seconds to feel the cold metal on his chest, but nothing happened. Taking a peak over his shirt...

*STAAAAAAARE*

He catches Compa staring at his chest, his finely shaped pecs and abs open for all to see.

"Um, excuse me?" Ryou piped up a little irritated.

"Huh? Oh, right. Got a little distracted. Ehehehe, sorry." She apologized, causing Ryou to roll his eyes as she placed the chestpiece of the stethoscope onto where his heart should be.

"Hmmm." She hummed as she inched closer to him, trying to get a better reading on his heartbeat. What she doesn't realize though was that she was getting a little too close to him. Ryou immediately noticed that fact as he got an up-close and personal look on the nurses skimpy attire, consisting of a pink and white one-piece dress with matching elbow-length gloves, thigh-high boots and a nurses hat with a heart design with a C in the middle.

The outfit from a distance doesn't look like much, but up close, it puts a good emphasis on her E-cup breasts, along with the incredibly short skirt showing off her flawless legs and nearly showing her rump. This obviously got Ryou pretty flustered, to the point where his heart started pounding a bit more than usual.

("Aw man, what the hell! Quit pounding damnit!") He beseeched himself internally as Compas expression changed, clearly hearing his heart go faster.

"Oh! You're heart beat is pretty fast!" She exclaimed as she put her stethoscope away and looked to her patient. "Is something wrong?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah...you're a little too close to my face for one." He pointed out, not even trying to hid the annoyance in his tone. Taking a look at her own surroundings, Compa caught on and backed from him a bit bashfully.

"Oh, sorry." She apologized. "So, other than your rapid-heartbeat, you seem perfectly healthy. So what seems to be the problem."

"Tch, well, you just pointed it out a few seconds ago." Ryou replied. Compa didn't get what he meant at all as she tiled her head to the side, accompanying her were several question marks above her head. Seeing this Ryou sighed and rolled his eyes as he looked around out the door and window of the office to make sure no one else was around.

"*Sigh* alright, if I tell you, ya promise not to blab this to anyone?"

"No problem. That's what patient confidentiality is for!" Compa said proudly.

His paranoia now put at ease, he recounted everything that happened, starting from his arrival to Planeptune, all the way up to now. He also made sure to mention his late night encounter with Vert just to be on the safe side.

"So in short, ever since I got laid off, I've been feeling something weird literally every time I meet or even think about a cute girl. My face gets hot, my heart won't stop freakin' beating, I can't stop stuttering to save my damn life, some girls I've seen sort of smell different now, and overall this has be-"

"*Giggles*" Ryou stops mid-sentence to hear Compa giggling to herself as she tries her best to keep from smiling.

"Hey! What are you laughing at!" He complained as Compa composed herself only slightly and faced him with a beaming smile.

"It sounds to me like someone is finally hitting puberty~." She chimed.

"...Huh?"

"Ehehehe. Silly, it's only natural for boys to think about girls. You're just in the phase where most boys start to think about that sort of thing. Like how to look in front of a lady, how to act, how to..." Compa stopped herself for a moment, taking in what she just said as she took a good look at Ryou.

She couldn't read his face, but she could see that his eye is twitching, and if she could look a little further, a tick mark could be seen to the side of his face. She trailed his eyes and figured he might be staring at her, causing the nurse to blush and fidget in place. After all, it's just the two of them, a young mostly good looking guy alone with a pretty and busty nurse with no one else around.

"Umm..." She hesitates for a moment as she poked her fingers together." Y-You're not thinking about doing *gulp* perverted things to me, are you?"

"...THAT'S IT! I'M OUT!" Before she could process what's what, Ryou got off from the bed he was sitting on, kicked the door down and just walked out in a brisk pace, not even bothering to let the nurse catch up to him as he stormed out the clinic and walked out into the streets of Planeptune.

"Puberty my ass. For crying out loud, I'm 16! I think I'm waaaay past that point!" He complained to himself, not at all pleased at the answer he got. Though this could also be his way of denying the obvious truth, but that is open for interpretation.

It's just been one thing after the other for him, with no end in sight. To him, things have been going topsy turvy and all kinds of curvy ever since he stepped one foot here.

Sure not all of it was that bad: he got a little, if not a lot stronger due to the Dive, he's met some pretty decent people (some more than others), and if he was able to do that to Ryuko back there and save two CPU Candidates, than he was an A-Class hero all along, at least in his head.

Even so, the bad definitely outweighed the good, and now he's stuck in place and has virtually no means of getting better unless a miracle happens. However, he did recall his time growing up in Lastation, and by comparison, his current situation is at least decent, so he can at least suck it up...but that still doesn't mean he has to like it.

"*Sigh* Just what the bloody hell did I do to deserve this crap?" He wondered to himself as he took a look to his right to spot a full-body mirror in a shop. He stood in place and took a good look at himself.

Since he wasn't a LOGIN agent anymore, he had to change his attire so he doesn't go sticking out like a sore thumb. His current wear consists of a purplish grey T-shirt under a dark grey V-neck vest, black skinny jeans with a silver metal belt, black fingerless gloves and the same black boots as before, all topped off with a black long-coat with red outlines and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He looked down to the thin necklace he had and held it up to his eyes, looking down on the two rings he has attached to it. He always had this ever since he was a child and it's been sort of a lucky charm to him. He doesn't exactly remember where this came from, or why he has it, but he feels like this is very important to him and he always keeps it with him.

As he lets go of his necklace, he looks back to the mirror and gazes at his own image, with a few passerbys snickering in the mirror at him as they walk by. The only thing that was missing on his person was a warriors best companion...his weapon.

"Geez. Still can't believe I broke it back there. And I still can't figure out how the hell I pulled that move off." He muttered as he went back to walking ahead. As he said, he destroyed his old sword in his fight with Ryuko, so he's been weaponless for a while now...and yes, he has been taking on quests with just his bare hands.

Sure, he can take on most monsters without a weapon, but it doesn't change the fact that he can't go more than a few quests without having to stop and wait for his hands to regenerate.

"*Sigh* I should probably get a new one from a weapons smith or som-"

*BUMP

"Ack!"

"Crap!"

Before he could finish his sentence, he bumped straight into someone without a care in the world, causing them both to stagger in place.

"Ugh. Dammit, who put a vertical wall in the middle of the street!?"

"You wanna run that by me again jackass!?"

"Huh?"

He looked ahead to what or who he bumped into, and to his surprise, he sees a petite, pale skinned girl about as young as Neptune. She had sandy brown hair reaching to her neck and dull-blue eyes that were staring straight at him menacingly. She's wearing a big white cap with light-blue frills as well as brown and gold detailing, an open white jacket with powder blue markings, dark brown lining, and light colored brown fur over a white one-piece dress with dark brown linings, a light blue choker with a gold and blue gem in the middle, and light blue sandals with what looks like a ribbon tied around her right leg.

"What in the...?" Before he could get another word out, he overhears the ramblings of some spectators looking on as a small crowd began to gather.

"Uh oh, this doesn't look good!"

"Well, looks like someone is going to get his ass kicked."

"Doesn't that kid know not to mess with her?"

("Wha? This chick? What can she do?") He thought to himself as he looked down to the petite girl, who looks like she is getting angrier by the second.

"What the hell are you looking at?" She asked quietly, the furious undertone not lost even to him.

"...Nothing. Not like you have anything to show an-"

*PAWNCH*

"Guaah!" It all happened so fast. He was so busy talking that he didn't even see the girls fist reel back and uppercut him square in his jaw, sending him straight onto his back. The small crowd around them gasped at this surprise turn of events

...Though Ryou could've swore he heard some dude say "You got knocked the fuck out man!"

"Aaah, shit!" Ryou groaned as he rubbed his chin and jumped back up on the ground off his back. "What the hell was that for!?"

"That was for your pathetic face. Want another one!?"

"Oh hell no! I'm not going to take this from a washboard like you!"

"YOU SONOVA-!" White Heart threw another punch, this time aiming for Ryous adams apple.

*WOOSH*

"Wha!?" Only for her to completely miss her mark as Ryou seemingly disappeared.

"Yo, Ya missed!" The girl turned around to see the current object of her rage literally right behind her, throwing a peace sign alongside a cocky smirk.

"Why you...I'm gonna get you even if it's the last thing I do!" Out of nowhere, she pulled out a sizable hammer and charged straight ahead for him.

"Zerstorung!" Despite her size, she spun her hammer around as she got near with ease, and upon closing the distance, slammed a foot into the ground and swung it towards his head, all the while her eyes are shadowed out replacing them with one gleaming red eye with intent to kill.

However, Ryou simply jumped and barrel-rolled over the hammer, not only successfully dodging the attack, but the girl propelled herself further forward due to the momentum of her attack, landing face first into the ground and revealing her white panties for all to see.

"Hey! Nice undies ya got there!" He taunted as she grabbed her skirt over her panties as she got back up.

"Eyes up here Jackhole!" She roared ash she charged for him once more.

"Heh, at least I can make the most out of this one." He says to himself as he prepared himself...

"STOP!"

At least until a giant wall of ice appeared out of thin air in front of Ryou, stopping the girl in her tracks.

"Hey! What the-!"

"Gracious Lady Blanc. How many times do I have to remind you not to lose your temper in public?"

"Huh?" Ryou poked his head out from his side of the wall to the source of the voice, seeing a tall, light-skinned woman with sky-blue hair worn in low pigtails walking towards his attacker. She has teal-blue eyes, red glasses, a white one-piece dress under a long red coat with gold buttons, a matching graduate hat, see-through frilled stockings and red pumps.

"Hey, butt our of this Mina! This is between me and that asshat over there!" The short girl called Blanc shouted as she jabbed a thumb in Ryous direction. the young blunette, Mina, just simply removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose before putting them back on and addressing Blanc.

"Blanc, I'm sure whatever happened is a simple misunderstanding. Now just calm down and-"

"Misunderstanding my ass! This jackass bumped into me and had the balls to call me a washboard! No way in hell am I going to let that slide, so get out of may or-"

"...OR WHAT, LADY BLANC?" The instant Mina opened her mouth, Blanc clammed up and froze in place. The tone in her voice shifted dramatically, sounding calm and sincere, but the underlying fury is as plain as day. So much so that even Ryou was pretty startled, especially when he took a better look at Minas face, he saw that she has a similar expression to Blanc, red gleaming eye and all...except it looked about a hundred times worse on her.

("Okaaaay...note to self, don't piss this woman off.") Ryou noted, all the while suddenly spotting two small figures behind the bluenette.

"Ha ha! Blanc is in trouble~!" A little girl mocked her with a big smirk on her face, and upon inspecting, Ryou noticed that she looked a lot like Blanc herself with the same brown hair and eyes. However, her hair was cleanly cut and long enough to reach her chest, wears a pastel pink winter coat over a gray and white overall dress, matching pink snow shoes and a matching hat to Blancs.

"...Mina's always scary when she's made." Another girl spoke out quietly. She is nearly identical to the other girl, the only difference being that her hair is cut cleanly short and her attire is pastel blue instead. He quickly came to the conclusion that these two were twins.

"Ram!? Rom!? there you two are!" Blanc yelled, forgetting about Ryou for a moment and walked toward them. "Just where in the he-"

"Ahem!" Mina cleared her throat and glared at Blanc, as if telling her to watch her tone.

"...Where were you two? We've been looking for you both for about an hour ever since you two ran out of the Basilicom." Blanc asked politely, her tone now much more quiet than before.

"Go ahead girls. Tell your sister what you were up to." Mina nudged them to their older sister.

"Sorry for running away...but after we stopped by...to visit Miss Nepgear, well..." The blue one, Rom, spoke quietly, with Blanc just standing there awaiting her sisters answer.

("Wait, these girls know Gear? Huh.") Ryou thought to himself as they continued talking.

"Rom lost her pen on the way over, so we thought we'd go out to look for it. We've been searching all over and we can't find it anywhere!" The pink one, Ram, finished.

"That's it? Then why didn't you come tell us about it?" Blanc asked. The twins looked to each other and then looked back to there sister.

"Umm...we really didn't think about it." Rom answered, her and her sister looking rather ashamed of themselves.

"*Sigh* Good grief." Blanc said as she walked toward her sisters, with Mina stepping aside for now. Blanc knelt in front of Ram and Rom and gave both of them a pat on the head. "Just try not to make a habit of that, alright. You had us both worried sick."

"We're sorry." Both twins apologized.

"Good. Now that that is out of the way...Huh?" Mina turned around to Ryou, but stared in his direction in blank silence, with Blanc and her sisters looking at her credulously.

"Mina, what are you..." Blanc trailed off as she looked as well. "What the- Hey, you dick!" Only to spot Ryou trying to simply walk away as they were talking, though he didn't get very far. Much to his annoyance, upon hearing her, he turned back around reluctantly and faced them with a relatively bored expression.

"What?" He asked bluntly.

"Don't 'what' us, you jerk! what do you were think you were tryin' to pull just now!?" Ryou just sighed in annoyance. At this point, he wants nothing more than just go to his crappy apartment and catch some Z's.

Between everything that's happened up to this point and then having a nurse tell him he was just hitting puberty, he does not want to put up with any of this. So, he sighed again, looked directly at Blanc and bluntly said:

"Look, I'm sorry for bumping into you and calling you a washboard, but in all seriousness, I've already got a lot of shit going on, and if it goes any further south for me, I'm going to be stuck in the Gameindustri Graveyard, so if you, your sisters and your nanny over there can excuse me, I'm going to just walk away and-!"

"Excuse me." Ryous face distorted in anger and irritation as he heard another voice coming from behind him. He turns around on his heel faster than he wanted to and glared out into the distance.

"ALRIGHT, WHO IS IT THIS TIME!?" He roared out, only to see no one. Looking left and right, he still saw no one else around other than a few pedestrians who were looking at him like he's crazy.

"Umm, down here." The voice said again, with a small hand coming from below his vision and waving at him, at the same time finally noticing the small tuff of brown hair just barely visible. turning his gaze downwards, he sees...

"Huh?" Blanc, Mina and the twins all saw Ryou lean forward and look down, and from where they're standing, they could see something small carrying a rather large object on his/her back. Curiosity overtaking them (and in Blancs case, forgetting her previous anger for the moment), the four of them opted to see who Ryou was talking to by leaning over his side, Blanc and Mina to his left, Ram and Rom onto his right.

"Who's that?" Ram called out as she sees who is right in front of him.

"It's...a boy?" Rom commented, spotting a brown haired boy wearing a violet scarf, a gray long-sleeved shirt, pants the same color as said scarf, brown shoes and...a five foot long, 10 inch wide black and red sword strapped to his back.

Back to Ryou, he was just looking at the poor boy, who was fidgeting at his stare. Now, he could just forgo the easy route and just simply walk away, but right now he is just more confused than anything else, with his mind having multiple questions at once.

What in Gameindustri does a little kid want with him now of all times? Has he seen him before? Where did he come from? And most importantly...what the hell is up with that giant sword on his back?

"Umm..." After what seemed like an hour, the little kid finally spoke. "Are you Ryou Ayumu?" The child asked politely.

"Uh, yeah? Do I know you?"

"We've met before. About a week ago, when you passed by my village."

"...Nope. Sorry kid, I don't know ya." He dismissed casually.

"Remember? When you beat the Dark Plague?" The child insisted.

"Yeah, sorry kid. I honestly don't know what the he...wait a second." Ryou paused at the mention of the Dark Plague. All of a sudden, he remembered that days events like the back of his hand.

"*snaps fingers* Oh yeah, now I remember! You were with that old man when I accepted a quest a week." Ryou answered.

"So you do remember? Phew, that's a relief." the boy said with a relived smile, but it soon went away when he tilted his head to the side, spotting at least four people behind him, two of which look like they could be his age. The boy shrunk back a little, obviously unsettled by the fact that there's more than just the two of them right now.

"Umm, sorry, am I interrupting something?" He asked hesitantly.

"Naw, I was just about to bail anyways." Ryou answered nonchalantly, much to the chagrin of said people behind him.

"Well that's a little rude." Mina said.

"Now do you see who I was dealing with? Freaking jackass." Blanc commented.

"Do you know what they're talking about Rom?" Ram spoke to her sister, although both are more than a little lost.

"I don't know...something about...a plague?"

"Hmm. I think I remember hearing reports about a strange monster terrorizing a village outside Lastation. If I can recall, that same monster was killed about a week ago." Mina said.

"Are you saying this guy was the one that killed it? I kinda find it hard to believe." Blanc said, unbeknownst to her, earning an irritated look from Ryou.

("Well screw you too then.") He thought to himself as he just shrugged it off. "Anyways, nice to meetcha again...uhh, what was your name?"

"Ah, right! Forgive me." the child apologized, with Ryou noting that he seems a bit more skittish then when they first met.

"My name is Hikaru. Hikaru Yoshino. It's nice to meet you again, Mr. Ayumu." Hikaru took a bow and proceeded to introduce himself properly.

"Same...although, wouldja do me a solid and just call me Ryou?" He asked, catching the boy a little by surprise.

"Huh? But why?"

"Yeah, sorry kid, but being called mister makes me feel like a greasy old man, Blegh."

"Oh. OK, sure Mis- eh, I mean R-Ryou." Hikaru complied as he pulled up his scarf to his face, clearly showing that he isn't as casual as the former LOGIN agent.

"Yeah, sure." ("Man, something tells me this kid doesn't know how to really talk to people.") Ryou thought to himself as he slightly recalled there first meeting. It was only for a short while, but the kid seemed a bit more confident and defensive when he thought Ryou was a thief, immediately coming between him and the elder without a second thought.

"So, what brings you all the way out here?" Ryou asked, deciding to brush it off to the side for now.

"Oh, well, you see, my grandfa- Ah! I mean, the elder wanted to thank you for what you did last week, but he couldn't come, so he sent me in his stead." Hikaru explained, almost barely able to avoid revealing that he's the elders grandson.

Unfortunately, Ryou caught on to it quick, and for an instant, things started to click to him. Compared to how he is acting now, Ryou figured that he was just looking out for his grandpa at the time.

"That so, huh? Well, can't say I'm too surprised. I mean I am awesome." Ryou boasted as he gave the kid a smirk and a thumbs up. Though unaware to anyone else, Ryou was silently questioning why an elder would send out his grandson just to-

"Wait..." Ryou said, the thought now just crossing his mind.

The village he found and fought the Dark Plague near at was at least a good few miles between Planeptune and Lastation. To him, it was just a simple walk since he could just use Acceleration to run over, but to any normal person, it would take a while to get there.

"Kid, how long did it take you to get here?" Ryou asked.

"Huh? Oh, I've been walking to Planeptune since this morning. Why?" Hikaru responds casually.

"What!? You mean to tell me you walked all the way here with THAT thing on your back!?" Ryou shouted out as he pointed straight at the sword on Hikarus back.

"Oh, that's right. Hold on a second." Hikaru proceeded to unstrap the leather harness from his person along with the sword and presented it to Ryou as Hikaru held it with both hands. "The elder asked me to give you this as thanks."

"What, seriously? Sweet!" Ryou reached out and grabbed the sword with both hands, making sure to release it from it's harness, and held it up straight to his face. Noting that despite its size the sword weighs next to nothing to him, Ryou marveled at the badass looking sword in his hands. Soon enough, he wielded the sword in front of him, getting ready to test it, with Hikaru nervously, yet instinctively backing away.

Ryou raised the sword above his head and quickly swung it down to his left side, then swung it back upwards to his right just as fast, and finished off with another overhead slash straight down the middle.

"Ohohoho yeah. Now this is what I'm talking about!" Ryou said, pleased with what he got.

"Try pulling out now."

"Huh?" He turned toward the village kid who had a completely serious expression on his face.

"Grab a hold of the blade and pull the grip." He instructed.

"What the heck are you talking about kid?"

"Trust me, you'll see."

"...Alright." Confused and not exactly sure where he's going with it, Ryou did as instructed and began pulling at the grip. "Dude, I'm warning you, if this is some kinda prank..."

*SWISH*

"Whoa!" Ryou nearly dropped the blade itself as he pulled the grip, revealing that there is a silver long sword within the broadsword itself.

"Well damn...Didn't see this coming. What kinda weapon is this?" Ryou asked, more than a little surprised at his 'sword within a sword'.

"A 'Trick Weapon'."

"A what now?"

"Allow me to explain." Hikaru said as he moved closer hesitatingly and cleared his throat.

"According to some of the books I've read back home, Trick Weapons were weapons used by the Old Guild Hunters long ago during the Console Wars. These weapons can usually change into one or more different forms, giving them a variety of fighting styles to work with during combat. Unfortunately, nowadays it's not very common for these weapons to be used, in fact only a handful of them exist now, so be sure to take care of it."

"...What the hell are ya, a walking encyclopedia?"

"Hey, that was a swear!"

"Oh my goddess, you've got to be kidding me." Ryou groaned as he did a facepalm.

"These guys are really weird, right Rom?" Ram asked her sister.

"...A little."

"What do you mean a little!?"

"Now Ram, don't be calling people names." Mina scolded her, as Blanc simple stayed quiet and observed what was going on between the two boys.

"Hmm?" Hikaru overheard them talking and looked to the small group behind Ryou. Curious, he walked past Ryou and towards them calmly, with Ryou not even minding as he was in the middle of sheathing his new sword and strapping it to his back.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but could one of you be Rom?" He asked politely.

"Yes?" Rom herself called out as the boy turned his attention towards her. He walked to her and Ram, the latter of whom eyed him suspiciously, and dug something out of his pouch.

"I think you dropped this." He carefully took out the item from his pouch and presented it to her, revealing to be a small baby-blue pen with a tiny dogoo on the end-cap and Roms name on the side of it.

"My pen!" Rom exclaimed, both surprised and relieved that it was found.

"Hey, where did you find that!?" Ram shouted as she eyed the boy suspiciously.

"I found it in the middle of the sidewalk on my way here." Hikaru explained calmly, oblivious to Rams stare as he cautiously stepped towards her sister and presented her pen. "Here."

Looking back and forth between her pen and the boy, Rom carefully reached her hand out for her pen, hesitating for a moment before taking it from Hikarus hand and holding it close to her chest.

"Thank you." She says as she give a grateful bow.

"It's no trouble. I'm just glad I could bring it back." He answered as he scratch his head.

("Still, I'm surprised I found the owner so soon...") "...Then again, with a name like Rom, I figured it would belong to a cute girl, hehehe." Hikaru said to himself, not realizing he voiced his thoughts for all to hear.

Everyone was standing in silence, taking in what the young boy just said. Each of them stood still with blank expressions (and in Blancs case, just acting naturally)

Ryou on the other hand looks pretty annoyed, recalling a similar situation that happened a week ago.

("Here we go again.") He rolled his eyes and prepared for the shitstorm that's about to happen as Hikarus expression changed drastically, finally catching what he just said.

"...I said that out loud didn't I?"

Without skipping a beat...

"EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHH!?" Rom, Ram and Mina screamed out loud, each with varying shades of red adorning there features, while Blanc is only mildly taken aback at the boys comment.

"C-C-C-Cute!?" Rom stuttered, embarrassed as she backed away a few paces from the boy.

"W-Wait, hold on! That's not-!" he tries to defend himself, but Ram pulled out her staff and stood right in front of her sister, glaring at the boy.

"Get away from my sister ya big weirdo!" She angrily shouted as she waved her staff and began charging a spell.

"Wait! Ram don't!" Mina called out, but was promptly ignored.

"Ugh, dammit!" Seeing the kid about to get blasted, Ryou darted forward just as Ram casted her spell.

"Eternal Force Blizzard!" Ram called out as a huge wave of ice and snow barreled towards the poor boy as Hikaru closed his eyes and brought his arms up in a cross shape to brace for impact. Just as the attack connected, Ryou jumped in front of the attack and held onto Hikaru with his back facing the fast approaching blizzard.

The blizzard collided, hitting it's mark and freezing the surrounding area, with the few people around managing to get away in time.

"Hmph, that'll teach ya, pervert." Ram said as she stuck her tongue out. Both Mina and Blanc were just about to scold her, but...

"HUH!?" As soon as the mist from the attack cleared, they all immediately spotted what looked like a circle of light green colored wind, right in front of the Former LOGIN Agent and the village boy who are completely unharmed.

"What the hell?" taking in his current surroundings, Ryou spotted the wind shield in front of them and all the frost from the attack completely missed them.

"Phew, that was close." Hikaru said as Ryou looked down to him. "Are you OK?"

"Y-Yeah, sorta." He answered as the shield vanished and they got up. Checking themselves for any injuries, Ryou turned his gaze to the little brat that tried to turn them into giant popsicles.

"Hey! What the hell was that for ya little brat! You coulda turned us into ice sculptures with that!" Ryou yelled at her.

"Yeah, you could've at least warn us first. What a rude thing to do." Hikaru added in, with Ryou turning his head to the boy and squinted his eyes in annoyance.

"Oh yeah!? Well here's your warning then!" Ram yelled back as she waved her staff and prepared for another spell...

"That is quite enough young lady!"

*YANK*

"Ouch!"

However, before she could cast it, Mina grabbed her by the ear and dragged Ram to her, the sudden pain causing the little girl to flinch and let go of her staff.

"Hey Mina, what's the big idea!?" Ram flailed about as she tried to break out of Minas hold, but to no avail.

"Ram, settle down! You're already causing enough trouble, look what you did just now." Mina pointed out right behind Ryou and Hikaru, and as Ram ad her sisters looked, they're jaws dropped at what they saw.

Confused, both boys turned there heads behind them, only to go wide-eyed at what they saw. Apparently, Rams spell froze over an entire shop just right behind them. If it weren't for Hikarus barrier blocking Rams blizzard, that would've been them.

"MY SHOP!" A random NPC came barreling out of nowhere and stood shocked and angry at the display, his store frozen solid right in front of him. "HEY! Who the hell is going to pay for this!?" The NPC called out in there general direction.

"Hey, don't look at me. Tell it to the brat that caused this." Ryou answered as he jabbed a finger in Rams direction, though he quickly noticed that the boy that was right beside him just disappeared. Taking a quick look around, he spotted Hikaru walking towards the frozen area.

"Hey kid, what do ya think you're doing?" Ryou called out, but it would seem Hikaru either didn't hear him or just outright ignored him. Stopping just an inch away from the frost, Hikaru went on his knees and extended his right arm out to it as his left held onto the forearm for support. Taking a deep breath, he focuses his mind onto the giant mass of ice as everyone watched, wondering just what the hell he's trying to do.

Within a moments notice, Hikaru began to glow a pale blue aura as something appeared before his extended hand. It looked like a large, circular glyph of the same color, with two smaller glyphs of varying sizes attached to it, with what seems like runes scrawled all over it.

"Da Capo!"

Upon calling the spell, the rune in front of him glowed brightly, and in an instant, to everyones surprise, all the ice in the entire area began to fade away quickly, and by the time it was done, it was as if it never even happened.

Everyone in the general area was in awe with what just happened. Even the owner of the shop was practically slack-jawed, one minute it was frozen solid and in the next a kid came by and fixed it all in an instant. Hikaru looked around as he got up and felt slightly uncomfortable with all the stares in his direction. So, upon giving the NPC a bow, he made his way past Ryou, who was just as dumb-founded as everyone else, and stopped right in front of Mina and Ram and took a bow.

"I'm really sorry for all the trouble ma'am."

"Huh?" Mina was understandably confused at the boys apology, while Ram was just glaring at him like he was stupid. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."

"It's just a bad habit of mine. I just can't seem to keep my thoughts in my head, so it just ends up coming out my mouth. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry, there is no need for apologies." Mina reassures him as she shifted her gaze to Ram. "You on the other hand little lady are in big trouble."

"What!? What did I do!?"

"You attacked him when he was just giving your sisters pen back and froze over someone elses property." Mina counter sternly.

"What!? But he-!"

"I'm having no excuses Ram. When we get home, you're sister and I are going to have to give you proper punishment." Mina told her, Ram shrinking on the spot of what will come next.

She looked to her twin for support, but Rom simply shook her head albeit reluctantly, silently telling Ram that while she would like to help her, she can't under these circumstances. Feeling dejected and a bit betrayed, Ram hung her head in defeat, dreading the spanking she's going to get when they return.

Ryou just looked on from the sidelines, both annoyed at these turn of events and somewhat bored, now just wanting to go straight home. Just as he was thinking of giving them the slip again, he sees Blanc walking up to him. With a sigh, he turns to her and opens his mouth to say something.

"Hold it." Only for her to extended her hand out and telling him just that. "I know what you're going to say, and I'll say this now, I agree with you. Neither of us really have the energy to deal with any more bullshit right now, so let's just forget what happened earlier."

"*Sigh* Couldn't agree more." Ryou agreed as he extended his hand to her. "The names Ryou by the way."

"...Blanc." She replies as she extends her own and gives him a handshake, with Ryou noting her very strong grip.

"Blanc, we're leaving." Mina called out as she, Rom and a disgruntled Ram were slowly making there exit.

"See ya." she says to him as she lightly jogged to her sisters and Oracle (unbeknownst to him of course). As they walked away, Rom looked back to Hikaru with a light blush and waved goodbye, and Ram just sticked her tongue out at him in annoyance.

"Well...that was weird." Hikaru commented.

"Took the words right out of my mouth kid." Ryou agreed. Just as he turned to leave, he heard a set of foot steps coming his way. looking back, he could see Mina walking up to him, stopping just about a feet to catch her breath.

"Sorry, I almost forgot to ask. You're name is Ryou Ayumu, correct?" The blunette asked.

"Yep. What about it?"

"My name is Mina Nishizawa. By any chance, do you know someone by the name of Yamato Kisaragi?"

"Huh? Teach? Yeah, I know him. Why?" Ryou responded, a little surprised that his mentors name suddenly came up.

"By any chance, have you seen him lately?" Mina asked, with Ryou detecting a hint of worry in her voice.

"Nope. Ever since LOGIN disbanded about a week ago, he just sort of fell off the map." ("Seriously though, where the hell is he?") He thought to himself, clearly still reeling over LOGINs disbandment.

"I-I see." Mina spoke softly, looking disheartened over the news. "Well, sorry for wasting your time. Have a good evening." She gave a bow as she turned around and made her way back to Blanc and the twins.

"Hey, wait! How do you know Yamato?" Ryou calls out.

"Oh. He's an old friend!" Mina calls back as she walks away.

"An old friend, huh?" Ryou mused to himself. Aside from other LOGIN personnel, Yamato never mentioned having any associates. Then again, thinking back on it, he doesn't really know anything personal about his mentor, despite there time together.

"Hmm?" Out from the corner of his eye, he spotted Hikaru walking away from him. "Hey kid, where are ya going?" He asked before the boy could get too far. Hikaru turned his head to Ryou skeptically.

"Home. It's starting to get late." Hikaru replied. Ryou took a look around and the sun is already setting.

"Wait, so you're heading all the way back by yourself?"

"Yes. The elder...my grandfather would be worried sick if I don't go now."

"Dude, it took you most of the day just to get here, so it'll probably way past your bedtime by the time you get home. Besides, what if you get attacked by monsters on the way back?"

Hikaru looked to Ryou, a little surprised at the former LOGIN agents concern (heck, even Ryou himself is surprised), but averted his gaze soon after.

"...I'll be alright. Don't worry about it. You probably should be going home too." Hikaru told him, now catching Ryou off guard as he could detect a hint of what sounds like to him at least, self-loathing.

Ryou honestly doesn't know why he's worrying so much right now. In any other circumstances, he wouldn't mind at all and just walk away, especially since, unknown to anyone else, he actually sort of hates kids. He finds them pretty damn annoying and a huge hassle to deal with, with Ram practically proving his point not too long ago.

However, while he doesn't really know it now, he can see that this kid is kind of different than the little brats he has seen before, despite just actually meeting him. Sure, Hikaru seems socially awkward and a bit of a motor mouth, but he seems calm and behaved, not to mention pretty damn smart for someone his age, a far cry from the usual, loud, dumb and obnoxious toddlers.

Not only that, but Ryou could feel something from Hikaru. Looking at the boy, he could see that he has the look of someone who is just simply lost and alone, not really knowing what to do or who to rely on. In fact, he'd hate to admit it, but Ryou himself had that same expression on his face not too long ago, just before he bumped into Blanc.

Maybe it was because he himself is exactly that; Lost and Alone. He really doesn't know what else to do now that his life-long dream of being a hero is now dashed and Yamato has completely disappeared. He's just barely getting by with his part time job as a bouncer, and all the jobs he has done for the guild, while rewarding, doesn't exactly fill the hole in his heart since he can kill normal monsters easily and all it earns him is a simple pat on the back and some credits.

"Well, I should be going. Good night." Hikaru said as he turned back around and started to walk away.

"Hey, kid!" Ryou called out again. He doesn't know why or what he's even trying to do, but right now that doesn't matter to him. Whatever the reason is, Ryou only truly knows one thing.

...he doesn't want to just leave this kid alone.

Hikaru stops in place, at least giving him a signal that the boy is at least listening.

"...You can, stay at my place if you want."

Hikaru visibly flinched and completely turned around to face Ryou, surprise written all over his face.

"I-I mean, I'd feel kinda bad if you walked all the way back at the dead of night and get attacked. I Wouldn't be much of a hero otherwise." Ryou chuckled at his own statement. "Anyways, how about this: you can stay at my place for tonight and then I can bring ya back home first thing in the morning. How's that sound?"

It was a simple question, but judging from Hikarus expression and movements, Ryou could tell that something like this doesn't happen very often. Hikaru looked in all directions and pulled up his scarf again, nervously pondering about Ryous offer as Ryou himself walks towards him and takes a knee with his hand on the boys shoulder.

"So kid, what do ya say?"

"...OK." Hikaru replied after a solid minute of consideration.

"Well *claps* now that that's settled, let's get the lead out! Dinner is on me!" Ryou exclaimed as he got up, turned on his heel and marched forward home, with Hikaru following close by.

Ryou has to admit, while this has been, overall, a pretty shit week, he can't say that it was all shi-

*CLUNK*

"Huh?"

"Wha?"

Both boys stopped in place upon hearing what sounded like a plastic object hitting the concrete.

"Did you hear that? I think it came from that back alley up the street." Hikaru pointed out the obvious, much to Ryous annoyance.

"Meh. Probably someone dropped a plastic bottle or something." Ryou answered nonchalantly.

"I don't know...I'm going to go check it out just in case." Not even waiting for a reply, Hikaru jogs on ahead of Ryou to the source of the noise just now.

"Hey, kid, hold up! Damn it." Ryou ran right behind him, easily catching up to him as they both entered the back alley.

"Oh yeah, following a noise to a back alley, shrouded in darkness in the middle of the evening...yeah, this isn't a stupid idea at all." Ryou mused to himself.

"-Someone, save me..."

"Huh!?" Before Ryou had time to drag the kid out, they both looked around to see who was talking to them.

"OK, now I'm officially starting to get freaked out."

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Hikaru called out to the voice.

"-Someone, anyone..."

"Where the hell is that comin' from?" Curiosity getting the better of both of them, they walked further into the alley, hoping to see who or what is calling out for help.

"...Save me...Save...the Zero Dimension..."

"...Over there!" Hikaru points to the corner of a nearby garbage can, a small worn-out grey and orange object enter there view. Looking to one another and nodding, they walked towards it with caution in each step until they were close enough to it to get a better look.

"What the hell is that? It looks like...a game console?"

True enough, the object lying in front of them is in fact a game console. The console itself is shaped like a small rectangle with a faded white body, four controller slots, a small orange triangle, to which Ryou presumes is the power button, and what really stood out was the orange swirl mark in the middle.

"Was...was that coming form this console?" Hikaru asked to no one in particular as he slowly reached out for the console. Though before the young boy could get any closer, some sort of instinct within Ryou snapped as he quickly grabbed his arm before he could touch it.

"Whoa there kid. We don't know if this is even a console to begin with, so leave it to me, alright?" While a little startled, Hikaru looked to the console and then back to Ryou before giving him a nod, stepping back a few paces.

With the child at a safe distance, Ryou focused his attention onto the console. In hindsight, he could just ignored this, grabbed the kid and went home, but for some reason, something was urging him to be here. Even more so now that he is looking straight at the mystery console in front of him. He doesn't know why, but something about this console feels oddly...familiar to him.

Using extreme vigilance, Ryou slowly reached out for the console as Hikaru spectated from behind him. Touching the surface area, Ryou gently glide his fingers over the top, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary, though something in the back of his head was telling him not to press the power button. With the same amount of caution, Ryou gently held onto the side of the console and slowly picked it up off the ground.

Seeing that nothing went wrong nor was anything attached to it, Ryou breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that nothing really happened. As he stood back up with console in hand, Hikaru stepped forward to Ryous side as the young man inspected the console a little more closely. Looking at it up close, he can't shake the feeling that something seems really off about this, if the voice from earlier wasn't evident enough.

("More importantly though...have I seen this symbol before?") Ryou thought as his attention was centered around the swirl mark in the middle, a strange wave of nostalgia suddenly hitting him as the image of a sanguine-haired girl coming to the forefront of his mind.

"Ryou...?" Before he could think deeper on the subject, a light tug on his jacket snapped him back into reality. Looking down to his side, he sees Hikaru looking up to him with a frown.

"Are you OK?" He asked, worried for Ryous well being.

"...Yeah, I'm fine kid. Don't worry about it." He assures him, though it only worked a little it seems as he turned his attention back to the console.

("Well, as bizarre as it sounds, the voice definitely came from this. Not only that, but I've never seen anything like this. Hell, even a real gaming connoisseur wouldn't know what this is. If that's the case...")

"Change of plans kid."

"Eh?" Hikaru looked to him confused as Ryou dusted off the console and stuff it in his coat pocket.

"We're going to be crashing someplace else tonight."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, long story short, I'm going to visit a 'friend' of mine and see if she knows what this might be." Ryou answered the curious boy as they made there way out of the back alley.

A few minutes later, the former LOGIN agent and the village boy were at the front doors of the Planeptune Basilicom, with Hikaru being intimidate by the sheer size of the Neptower in front of them.

"Um, so you're friend lives in the Basilicom?" Hikaru asked hesitantly.

"Yep. Truth be told, her and her big sis are the CPU and Candidate here." Ryou paused for a moment to steel his mind, a part of him clearly not wanting to see Neptune. "Well, let's not keep 'em waiting." He said as he walked casually into the Basilicom.

"Aw, I see- wait what!? The Goddesses!?" Hikaru exclaimed. It was one thing to be a loyal follower of the CPUs, but the concept of personally knowing such holy figures was alien to the poor boy. Though before long, he noticed that Ryou had already went ahead of him. "W-Wait, Ryou!"

Stepping inside, Ryou say that aside from the occasional employee passing by, there is barely anyone in the Basilicom at this hour.

"It's like a ghost town in here." He commented as Hikaru caught up to him. "Hey! Is anyone home!?"

"Haa...Haa...Haa...I don't think anyone's here right now." Hikaru said as he caught his breath.

"Strange, I'm not expecting anyone at this hour." They're ears perked up as a calm gentle voice made itself known.

"Hey Histoire. Over here." Immediately recognizing her voice, Ryou called out to the small Oracle as she floated towards them.

"Oh, good evening Ryou. What brings you here this late?" Histoire greeted him, not even noticing Hikaru who was looking at her in awe and intrigue.

"Well, to keep a long and weird story short, I found something while I was heading home and I figured I would let Gear take a look at it."

"And what would that be?"

"This." Digging into his coat pocket, he procured the console he found and presented to her.

"Hmm?" Talking a closer look. Histoire inspected the console thoroughly.

"Hmm. Ryou, where exactly did you find this?"

"In some weird back alley in the middle of town. The really weird part is that I thought I heard someone from that alley, and either I'm high, or it actually came from this console."

"That so? Hmm." She inspected further, but as she did, she could feel a strange vibe coming from it.

("Strange. I am sure this is the first time I've seen anything like this...but why does this look so familiar?") She tries to think if there was any point in time that she has seen this before, but everything just came up as blank.

Something is off. She herself has lived for an incredibly long time, all the way back when the first Goddess existed, and yet she can't recognize something that appears as enigmatic, but at the same time, she feels accustomed to it.

"...Hmm?" However, before she could ponder any further, she noticed a small patch of brown hair enter her line of sight. Looking up, she sees Hikaru, still looking at her. Although upon eye contact, the boy immediately backed away and hid behind Ryou, peaking his head out from behind.

"Ryou, who is this?"

"Huh?" Ryou followed her gaze and spotted Hikaru hiding right behind him. "Oh yeah right, almost forgot. Well, about a week back I was taking on a high-level quest to slay some sort of monster camping out near a small village."

"Uh-huh. I've read a report on that. A violent monster was terrorizing a small village in the neutral lands about a week about before it was soundly defeated. I assume that was your doing Ryou?"

"You betcha! Anyways, the head of the village decided to have the kid here bring this badass sword here to me." Ryou said as he pointed at the black and red broadsword on his back "Seeing that it was already pretty late, being the hero I am, I decided to let him stay at my place til tomorrow morning."

"That so?" Histoire then directed her gaze back at the boy. "Is this true young one?"

"Y-Yes ma'am. The village elder sent me to deliver the Aurondight to him as thanks for defeating the Dark Plague. Also..." Hikaru hesitated before taking a deep breath and looking towards her. "Sorry for staring at you earlier."

"Aw. No need for apologies. I get that look often, so it's quite understandable." Histoire reassured him, making him soften up a little. "Now, may I have your name?'

"H-Hikaru. Hikaru Yoshino Ma'am." Hikaru introduced himself as he gave a bow to the small Oracle.

"It is nice to meet you Hikaru. I am Planeptunes Oracle, Histoire." She introduced herself as well. Hikaru was a little surprised at the fact that she is the Oracle, but opt to take it as is so as to not come off as rude.

"Really? I'm so glad to meet you miss Oracle."

"The pleasure is mine. And please child, call me Histoire."

"Yes. Thank you, miss Histoire."

*CLAP*

"Anyways, hate to interrupt, but do you know if Gear is home?"

"Oh, yes. She and Neptune are in there room upstairs."

"Great. Thanks Histoire."

"No trouble. As for me... *sigh* I will be constructing a solution on my own for Planeptunes safety yet again."

"Safety? What are you talkin' about? Hell, now that I think about, you looked kinda bushed. You alright?"

"He's right miss Histoire. You don't look very good."

"*Sigh* Well, I would be lying if I said it was nothing. It is now the time of the CPU Shift Period, so as you can see I've been busier than usual as of late."

"CPU what now?" Before Histoire could answer Ryous question, Hikaru comes out from behind Ryou and explains it for her.

"The CPU Shift period is a point in time where people all across Gameindustri begin searching for new CPUs to follow, as oppose to staying faithful to the current ones. In a sense, it's similar to that of an animals migration period, only for humans."

"That is very astute young one. Thank you." Histoire said.

"Aw, gotcha. So what's on the up and up then?" Ryou asked.

"As of this moment, rumors about the CPUs have been circulating around Gameindustri, most of them not exactly pleasant, to say the least. So as we speak, the CPUs reputations are slowly but surely being tarnished."

"Gotcha. So what are you guys gonna do about this?"

"Right now, everyone has been working relentlessly to prepare specialized teams to counter any allegations...well, almost everyone." Histoire sighed as he brought a hand to her forehead.

"...Let me guess: Neps just loafing around as usual and Gear is spoiling her?" Ryou asked, prompting Histoire to give him a nod. Hikaru looked up to Ryou with a quizzical expression, now a little lost in the conversation. Seeing this, Ryou clarified things for him.

"Nep is Purple Heart, and Gear is Purple Sister."

"I see...wait a minute! Lady Purple Heart and Lady Purple Sister aren't doing anything about this? Why?"

"That's something I'm wondering right now kid. Geez, you'd think with something like this going on, Nep would at least do something about it."

"Then it would seem you've been expecting too much out of Neptune, which is sad to say." Histoire added in. "Even so, it still amazes me that even after all this time, none of them have any mature or appropriate sense of danger."

"...Maybe they have just a lot of faith in there people. Like a small part of them knows that they won't lose there faith in them so easily." Hikaru added in.

"That is certain an idealistic thought." Histoire said.

("Yeah, sounds pretty damn naive if you ask me.") Ryou thought as he rolled his eyes.

"Regardless, I hate to cut this short, but I really must get back to work."

"Oh, OK. Sorry for taking up your time miss Histoire." Hikaru apologized.

"It's no trouble. Please make yourselves at home you two." Histoire said.

"OK. Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks." They both give there thanks as she made her exit.

"Alright, now that that's done, let's get going kid." With a nod of agreement, the two of them made there way to the elevator. upon entering, Ryou punched in the number to the CPUs quarters as the clear elevator began to rise to the upper floors.

Ryou looked down to his side and spotted Hikaru nervously shuffle around and look to his feet.

"Hey kid, lighten up a bit. It's not like we're going to a boss room or anything." Ryou tried to reassure him, but it only seemed to make the boy more nervous.

"I know, but...I'm about to meet the Goddesses of Planeptune in person. I really don't know what I should say or how I should act around them. They're holy deities and I'm just a kid." Hikaru said.

"Eh, don't sweat the small stuff." Ryou encouraged, not even aware of the fact that he ran into the Goddesses of Leanbox and Lowee and there respective Candidates and Oracles. "If it makes you feel any better, let me tell you a few things about them. That alright with you?" He asked, gaining Hikarus full attention.

"Well, for starters, Nepgear aka Purple Sister, is sort of like the girl-next-door kinda person. A goody-two shoes that tends to be nice to everyone in general, is pretty damn patient and a bit of a tech geek to boot."

"Hmm, I see."

"Now as for Purple Heart, well..."

"Well?"

"...You'll find out when you meet her. There is really no words to describe her accurately."

"OK. Thank you Ryou."

"Yeah, whatever."

They stayed silent for the rest of the ride up, gazing upon the streets below as they went higher and higher. Eventually. They came to a stop near the top of the tower as they both prepared themselves, Hikaru for meeting the CPUs of Planeptune in person, and as for Ryou...Well, plainly put, he does not want to even go near Neptune right now, but he's going to have to put up with her for a while. So, he just sucked it up and they both proceeded forward as the elevator opened up to a lilac colored bedroom.

Not even a few steps in...

"RYYOOOOU!" Neptune came straight out of nowhere and darted towards the former LOGIN agent to try and give him a bear hug. Seeing her a mile away, Ryou quickly unstrapped his new sword from his back and faced the flat of the blade to her. Not even seeing it coming, Neptunes face collided with the flat of the blade with a loud thud, then slowly slides off of it before hitting the floor.

"Hey Nep." Ryou casually greets the peppy goddess, with Hikaru in the sidelines looking both startled yet very confused.

"Neptune, are you OK? What's with all the noise?" Nepgear casually walked to where Neptune was, only to immediately stop in her tracks as soon as she spotted Ryou. "R-Ryou!? What the goodness are you doing here!? Especially this late!?"

Ryou sheathed his sword and tried to explain...only for Neptune to hop back up and cut him off.

"Isn't it obvious little sis? He's finally realized his love for me, so he's come to-"

*BONK*

"Ouchies!" Ryou drew his sword again and smack Neptunes head with the flat of the blade before she could finish her ridiculous statement.

"Goddamn, is you're head made of lead or something? Anyways, I didn't come here for you. I just swung on by to see Gear."

"M-Me? Why would you want to see me so late?" She asked as her face adorned a healthy blush.

"Wait, hold on a cotton-picking minute! You came here so you could-"

*BONK*

"Yeowch!"

"Whatever it is you were going to say, the answer is no!" Ryou yelled as he rubbed the side of his temple, already getting a headache from the purple Goddess.

"Hey, be careful with that! That's my grandfathers heirloom!" Hikaru piped up from behind, not too pleased to see Ryou using it so recklessly.

"Huh? Ryou, who's this?" Nepgear asked as she spotted Hikaru come out from behind Ryou.

"Yeah, who's this little cutie?" Neptune added.

"U-Um..." Hikaru backed up a few paces, now a little nervous at the newcomers.

"Crap. Alright, let me fill you two in..."

Ryou proceeded to tell to fill them in on todays events, intentionally omitting his visit to the Clinic and Compa so Neptune doesn't get any wild ideas. After that, introductions were made between the two CPUs and Hikaru, with the poor child understandably taken aback by the fact that they were in fact the Goddesses of Planeptune. Even so, he still addressed them with some level of respect, even when Neptune and Nepgear insisted otherwise.

"Well, it is really nice to meet you, Lady Neptune, Lady Nepgear. I promise I won't be a bother while I'm here, so please take good care of me." Hikaru took a bow as he finished greetings.

"Goodness. I really wasn't expecting a formal greeting like this. It kind of feels nice." Nepgear said, a little surprised at the boys good manners and etiquette.

"Yeah, I'm honestly not the kind of gal who likes formal stuff like this." Neptune added in.

"*Sigh* Just give it up Nep. This kid won't change his mind no matter what you do." Ryou said, remembering Hikarus earlier insistence when they met earlier. "Anyways, Gear, you mind if you take a look at this?" Ryou beckoned as he took the console out of his coat pocket.

"Hmm, a Console?" Upon seeing it, both the Nep sisters walked up and got a closer look at it.

"Oooh, a super cool, vintage game console. Nice find Ryou! Where didja find it?" Neptune asked, practically marveling at the console with wide, sparkling eyes.

"Yes, where did you find it? I've never seen anything like this." Nepgear added in.

"Me and the kid here found it in a dark alley a few minutes ago. Though don't say this to anybody, but I could've sworn I heard someone calling us from this thing." Ryou explained.

"Wait, so you heard a voice coming from a dark creepy alley and just happen to find this? ...OK, that's not creepy at all." Neptune commented.

('You have no idea Nep.") Ryou thought. "Anyways, Gear, do you mind?"

"Of course not. Let me have a look." Nepgear gently took the console out of Ryous grasp and inspected it even further. "Hmm...it doesn't look like it's damaged, and I'm certain this isn't technology I'm familiar with..."

"-Anyone...Please, save us..."

"Huh? Did anyone else here that?" Nepgear asked no one in particular.

"That's the voice from before! The one who was calling for help!" Hikaru piped up, instantly recognizing the voice he and Ryou heard from earlier.

"Whoa! I guess you guys weren't lying or going coo-coo after all." Neptune added in.

"Heeeeey! What the hell is that suppose to mean Neptune!" Ryou exclaimed

"Oh, nothing nothing." Neptune waved it off.

"It sure didn't sound like nothing...crud! I did it again." Hikaru closed his mouth shut, though thankfully no one heard him. Though as Ryou and Neptune bickered about, Hikaru saw Nepgear looking at the Console from head to toe.

"Hmm...maybe if I..." Nepgear brought a finger to the console and aimed to press the power button. Upon seeing this, Hikaru suddenly felt bad vibes all over, so he tried to warn her...

"Lady Nepgear, wait-!"

*click*

"Oh...!"

The instant she pressed the button, suddenly a bright orange portal opened up within the room and began swallowing them in without warning.

"Yipes! What in the what is this!? Why are we getting swallowed up out of the blue!?"

"Gear, what the hell did you do!?"

"Everyone, run away!"

All four occupants tried there hardest to get away from the portal, but no matter how hard they struggled, they continued to get sucked up by the portal. Ryou even tried using Acceleration to get out, but it didn't do anything.

"Oh no! What should we do!? I can't move! Neptune! Ryou!" Nepgear screamed out as they were inches away.

"Aw shit! Everyone hold onto somethin'!"

"Roger-Doger!"

*GLOMP!*

"Not me, ya freakin moron!" Ryou said as he shook off Neptune.

"Someone, please help us!" Hikaru tried calling for help...but alas, as they were pulled into the portal, no one came.

"We're all getting sucked in! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

* * *

Meanwhile, within Histoires office, completely unaware of what just transpired, She was currently sifting through documents, attempting to make arrangements for the CPU shift period. Though combine that with the multiple stacks of overdue paperwork, courtesy of Neptunes laziness, the small oracle certainly has her work cut out for her.

As she does so, she stops for a moment, took a deep breath and places her hand on top of the N-brooch attached to her tie, looking rather upset, with one person on her mind right now.

"...Yamato. Where are you?"


	15. New Bond Formed, Old Bond Recovered

A/N - This took hella long...so naturally it's a hella long chapter. First half is some bonding with the two OCs and second half is introducing bestgirl and childhood friend Uzume. I might put a poll back up to see if everyone still wants her to be the OTP with Ryou (one true pairing) but we'll see, let me know. Now on with the show, see ya next time (no this story wont be discontinued but it'll sometimes take a while to update because of me and twilights schedules).

* * *

"..."

"...u?"

"..."

"..ke u..."

"..." Ryou could feel someone gently shaking him awake, but he doesn't open his eyes.

"...Ryou?"

"...*grumbles* Split yer own bill, ya pudding obsessed freak."

"Ryou... please wake up." This time that person shook a little harder. letting out a disgruntled groan in response, Ryou opened his eyes slowly to see who woke him up.

"Nep, I swear, if it's you..." Ryou trailed off as the voice spoke up again.

"No. It's me, Hikaru."

"Hmm?" Sitting up and stretching his limbs, he looks to his side to see the blurry silhouette of Hikaru, sitting right next to him.

"Are you OK? You're not hurt are you?" Hikaru asked, very much more concerned about Ryou than himself.

"Don't, think so..." He muttered as he checked himself. It doesn't look like he has any injuries, although whatever he was sleeping on was seriously killing his back.

"Phew, that's a relief." Hikaru sighed with a relieved smile on his face and a hand on his chest. "You were still unconscious when I woke up, so I got really worried."

"Eh, no biggie kid." Ryou waved off, clearly still half-asleep. "I'm made of some pretty sturdy stuff, so no need to get so worked u-" He stops himself mid-sentence as he had just realized that he was laying on cold concrete instead of his bed. Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, Ryous vision became clear as he took in his surroundings.

"...What the f-!?" Now fully awake, he quickly gets to his feet and takes a better look. It was relatively dark where they were, with the only source of light they have being a huge crack in the ceiling above them, so he couldn't see everything. But from what he does see, he can only assume that they are in some form of access tunnel. The concrete was cracked and smashed all over, there were piles of rubble and scrap as well as a few cars damaged beyond repair scattered around them, and the crack from above trailed along a narrow path just right down from there current position.

"Where the hell are we? I coulda swore we were in the girls room a second ago?" Ryou said, obviously taken aback at the fact that he and the young boy are in a completely unknown location.

"I don't know." Hikaru replied as he got up and walked up to his side. "All I can remember is that when you handed the strange console over to Lady Nepgear, she pressed the power button, and then an orange portal came and swallowed up, and when I woke up, we ended up here."

As the boy finished his explanation, Ryou couldn't help but sigh in annoyance and slap his hand on his forehead. He knew from the get-go that the console was bad news. Guess this is what he gets when curiosity took a hold of his, admitably less than stellar judgement.

"Great. This is juuuuust great!" Ryou complained, clearly frustrated at the situation they are in.

"...I'm sorry." Hikaru apologized, his voice just barely above a whisper, but seeing as they were the only two people here, Ryou could hear him loud and clear.

"What are you apologizing for kid?" Ryou asked as he looked at the boy skeptically.

"This wouldn't have happened if I didn't find the console in the first place. I even got the Goddesses themselves into this mess." Hikaru shouldered the blame as his gaze went to his feet. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" He proceeded to apologize profusely as he gave a deep bow to Ryou, catching the former LOGIN agent by surprise.

("Geez, this kid is starting to make Gear look brave.") Ryou thought to himself, while noting that the boys confidence and self-worth are much to be desired.

shaking his head, Ryou looked to the child and said "Look, kid, I was the one who picked up the console and brought it with us, so..." Ryou trailed off as Hikarus gaze was removed from his feet and met with Ryous.

Upon eye contact, Ryou removed his own gaze and looked to his side as he scratched the back of his head bashfully. He already made it clear before to Noire that he wasn't really good with this sorta thing, especially since right now he's with a kid.

Granted, Hikaru doesn't look or act like a normal kid because, well, any normal kid would be either losing there shit right now or just plain scared out of there wits. Not only does he do neither, but he seems more concerned with his, Neptunes and Nepgears well-being and the (horribly misguided) fact that he was the one who caused all this.

Nevertheless, while he didn't exactly like doing this, the least he could do is ease the poor kids mind. The kid's already been dragged into this mess against his will, he doesn't need this kinda crap hanging over his head. He'd be nothing more than a burden otherwise.

"...So, don't go saying crap about yourself that ain't true."

"Swear."

"Whatever. Anyways..." Ryou waves off as he took a knee and looked at the boy eye to eye. "Let's just say it's no ones fault, so right now all we need to focus on figuring out where we are and how to get back. 'Til then, just try to stay close to me and stay out of trouble. Ya got it?"

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Hikaru slowly nodded to Ryou in compliance. Satisfied with what he got, Ryou stood back up and tried to take a better look around...only to remember one, or rather, two little details missing...

"Wait, kid...where are Nep and Gear?" Ryou asked, now just noticing the absence of the CPU and Candidate. "Were they with you when you woke up?" He was hoping the two of them went on ahead and told Hikaru to stay put until he woke up. Unfortunately, that thought was quickly dashed when Hikaru shook his head to him.

"No, I haven't. When I came to, it was just the two of us. I didn't see Lady Neptune or Lady Nepgear anywhere." Hikaru answered as he clasped his hands together in a form of prayer. "I really hope they are OK."

"Aw crap." Ryou couldn't help but facepalm once again. Not only do they not know where the hell they are, but now both Neptune and Nepgear are MIA.

"Ugh, looks like we're going to have to fine those two-"

*rrrrrRRRRRRRROOOOOAR!*

The instant they turned around to the source of the noise, they were both greeted with a giant claw zeroing in on the two of them with killing intent. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as it inched closer to the pair. Hikaru stood there, frozen in fear as the claw was less than an inch away from taking his head off.

Ryou on the other hand...

"ACCELERATION!" His instincts kicked into overdrive, using Acceleration to quickly grab Hikaru and just barely dodge under the incoming attack. The claw crashed into nearby rubble, causing both boys to tumble a bit away from the source of the attack.

"Shit, that was close." Ryou gasped as he took a knee, with Hikaru still in his arms. "Hey kid, you alright?" Hikaru was just barely able to nod as he was trembling in his arms, still very shell-shocked over the sudden attack.

"W-What is that!?" Hikaru yelled out, looking at the source of the attack in terror. Ryou turned his gaze to where he was looking...only to wish he hadn't.

Just by looking at it, he knew immediately that it was no ordinary monster at all. In fact, it was practically a small step down from a complete eldritch abomination to him, being 7 times there own size and is floating above them. It's upper half was muscular yet vaguely humanoid, colored a sickeningly dark purple with markings over its arms, at least 4 yellowish brown spiked appendages that Ryou assumes is it's wings on it's back, its hands only have three fingers, but each have frighteningly sharp claws that are almost as long as daggers, and a small human-faced head with red eyes, horns and a long neck. It's lower half was that of an insects abdomen colored bright red with red tentacles down it's side, two more spiked appendages colored gunmetal grey, and topped off with what looked like a bright orange eye in the middle of it's stomach.

"...Something veerrrrry pissed off." Ryou said under his breath as the monster snarled at them, baring it's fangs and claws as it eyes it's prey.

"Tch. No way outta this one." Ryou mused to himself as he gauged it's movements. This monster definitely seems like the type to hunt down it's prey no matter what, even if he did dash them both out of here. "Stay right here kid. I'll be right back." He told Hikaru as he let him go, stood up and walked toward the monster.

"R-Ryou wait. Y-You're not going to fight that thing on your own, are you!?" Ryou turned his head to the young village boy, who just looked at him. Fear and concern was written all over his face. No one could blame him, especially in this kind of situation. Ryou may not exactly like kids, but the least he could do is make sure this little guy gets out of this in one piece.

"Teh, don't sweat it too much kid..." Ryou closed his eyes for a moment, and then gave him his signature smirk and a thumbs up. "This thing doesn't stand a chance against me, so I'll make damn sure this thing doesn't lay a finger on ya. That's a heroes promise!"

Hikarus eyes widen in surprise, forgetting his fear and his shaking subsided as Ryou drew his new sword in its broadsword state and turned to face the menace in front of them as the monster in question prepares to fight him.

"..." The boy examined Ryous figure for a moment. He looks incredibly confident and unusually excited as he faces the unknown threat. Any normal person would've just simply run away, left him to die and never looked back, and yet here Ryou was, sword drawn and getting ready to defend him from the impending danger.

They haven't even known eachother for a single day and yet Ryou was already going out of his way to defend a stranger. To defend...someone like him. Slowly, his thoughts began dwelling on there first few encounters with one another.

The first time around, back when the Dark Plague was still an issue, he just walked right through their village, arrogantly proclaiming that he would slay the beast, as if it were a simple dogoo hunt. And when he spoke to him and his grandfather, he talked to them so casually and almost without a single hint of respect, as if they've already known eachother. At the time it felt kind of jarring, especially considering that the other villagers usually don't-

"...!" Hikaru suddenly shook his head before he could finish the thought, his expression suddenly darkening, as if recalling a very bad memory. However, he softened up a little as he recalled there second encounter a little while ago.

There second meeting, in hindsight, was a bit worse than the first considering that Ryou himself was in a bad mood, judging by the way he yelled at the poor boy. In fact, as Hikaru spoke to him, he looked like he wanted nothing more than to just walk away almost the entire time. However, something Hikaru noted immediately was that he didn't seem as arrogant as before and despite his clear annoyance, he stayed to listen to what Hikaru had to say.

In both encounters, the village boy can safely say that his and the elders earlier assessment of Ryou weren't too far off: an arrogant, carefree teenager that seems to love fighting, the last part of which Hikaru thought was pretty unnerving.

...And yet, behind all of that, Hikaru could see a subtle kindness to Ryou.

Despite his intentions at first, he seemed to genuinely want to help the village with the Dark Plague, and succeeded.

When that girl from a while ago, Ram, casted a high-level spell at him, Ryou didn't hesitate to get in front of them attack to defend him, even though Hikaru was capable of defending himself against it.

When he tried to go home, despite knowing the late hour, Ryou decided out of his own free will to provide him shelter until morning.

Even now, as they stand in a completely unfamiliar setting and faced with a monstrous adversary, Ryou is going out of his way to make sure Hikaru is safe.

"...No one else has ever..." Hikaru trailed off his thoughts as he placed a hand to his chest, where his heart lies. His heart began to feel warm, a few emotions swirling in his being all at once.

Gratitude, admiration, caprice, and among those above all else, he was happy, no, overjoyed to see that despite having just recently met, he mattered enough to Ryou to do this for him.

The boy was moved by the young mans actions. He doesn't know why Ryou is doing this, but he knows one thing for certain.

Seeing such a person act so selflessly, even in the face of danger... it fills him with determination.

(Back to Ryou)

("Alright, now lets see how I can own this thing?") Ryou was raring to go as he examined his opponent. It's huge and can pack a punch, but it also looks slow. If he uses Acceleration just as it is about to strike, he can easily dodge most of its attacks. The only problem he sees right now is the fact that the monster is airborne. He's going to have to figure out how to take out its wings, and once it falls to the ground, it's completely wide open, especially since that eye in the center of its body is such an obvious weakpoint.

"Alright then..." He trails off as he casually swings his sword and begins to approach his opponent. "It's hero ti-!"

"Oh Blazing Autarch, reduce all evil to ash!"

"Huh...?" Ryou whips his head around behind him...

"Flame Lance!"

Only to be greeted with a single blade of fire from above, flying right above his head at an angle.

*BOOM*

*rrrrrRRRRRRRROOOOOAR!*

Quickly turning back around, Ryou saw that the blade came crashing down directly onto the monster, causing massive damage.

"Whoa! What the hell was that!?" He yelled as the monster fell down to the ground form the attack. Before he had more time to think on it, Ryou heard a small pair of footsteps coming up right behind him. Turning behind him against, he sees Hikaru coming up right behind him with his scarf over his mouth.

"Kid?" Ryou said, noticing that Hikaru somehow looked a little different from earlier.

"Ryou, are you OK?" Hikaru asked, snapping Ryou back into reality as he did a double take.

"Am I OK? What the hell do ya think you're doing?" Ryou scolded. "I told you to stay back and leave it to me!"

"...No." The boy stated plainly.

"Ugh, give me a break." Ryou said as he facepalmed. "I said stay back!"

"No! I'm not just going to sit by and watch you get in harms way for my sake. I won't allow it!"

"Why you little-!" Ryou was about to yell at him, but almost immediately stopped as he got a better look at Hikarus form.

He is shaking a bit, indicating that he is somewhat hesitant, but also standing tall and firm with his fists clenched, pushing past his fear to face the incoming danger. However, what really surprised Ryou was the look in the boys eyes. Just a little while ago, they looked scared, fragile and weak. Now however, even Ryou could tell there is a strong fire burning in those eyes. With eyes like those, Ryou knew there was no way to talk the boy out of it.

"*sigh* Alright fine, you can join in." Sighing in defeat, Ryou allows the boy to join the fight as the monster gets back up. "Leave the front line to me. You cover my six and give me backup. Ya got it?"

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

"Alright..." Ryou trails off as they now both prepare for battle. "...It's hero time!"

[BGM playing: Dimension Zero, from Megadimension Neptunia VII]

*rrrrrRRRRRRRROOOOOAR!*

In response to Ryous battle cry, the monster roared out and launched a dark energy ball straight at the duo.

"Not so fast!" Hikaru came up from the side and held his hands out in front of him. "Oh Spirit of Wind, repel all with your mighty gales. Sylph Shield!" Upon calling out the spell, ripples in the air began to gather around and quickly formed a large, green, circular shield right in front of the boy. Within seconds, the energy ball collided with the shield, causing a sizable explosion, but leaving Hikaru completely unharmed.

Before it could launch another attack, Hikaru took the shield and proceeded to throw it straight at the monster, zipping through the air and cutting one of its wings off, causing it to stagger.

("A shield and a projectile? That's new.") Ryou thought to himself. Seeing an opening, Ryou dashed forward and quickly closed the distance between him and the beast with his broadsword upraised,

"Blade Furry!" Ryou jumps high into the air right in front of the monster face and slashed it several times, each one sending them further crashing back onto the ground. When they hit the ground, Ryou slashed it several more times, cutting off the remaining wings in the process, and them finished with a close ranged blade beam, sending the creature flying. and landing on it's back.

"Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Ryou boasted as the monster lied down on its back. However, before he could gloat anymore, the monster used its own body weight to propel itself upward and zeroed in on Ryou in a body slam.

"Ice Coffin!" The instant Ryou heard the boy call out the spell, a pillar of ice came jutting out of the ground right in front of him, slamming straight into the monsters stomach where they eye is and sending it back down.

"Lightning Bolt!" Before it had the chance to move, Hikaru conjured a bolt of lighting from above to strike down on the monster, further damaging it and stunning it in place.

"Alright, nice work kid!" Ryou turned around and gave Hikaru a thumbs up,the child nodding in response. "Now to finish this!" He yelled out as he used acceleration to close in on the monster again. Just as he was a foot away, he sheathed his broadsword, drew the straight-sword out of it and jumped high into the air right above the monster.

"Eat this, ya freak of nature!" He put his sword into a reverse grip and rammed straight down onto the monster.

*STAB*

*RRRRRRRROOOOOAR!?*

Ryou stabbed the monster in it's weak-point with everything he had, causing the monster to flail around in pain in a last ditch effort to get him off. However, it quickly began to slow down its thrashing and simply went limp as it breathed its last.

[BGM fades]

"Haa...Haa...alright, that's the end of that." Ryou shrugged as he pulled the sword out from his kill, that for some reason isn't vanishing like other monsters, and put it back in it's broadsword/sheath. "Still, that was gross." He commented as he got a better look at the monster now that it's dead and not disappearing in data.

"What the hell is this thing?" Ryou inspected the monsters corpse from head to toe as he stood on top of it. He has never seen such a hideous or frightening creature before. It's appearance alone is further proof that they are in a completely foreign place.

*Thud*

"Huh?" The young man heard a loud thud as he tried to inspect it further, the sound being akin to that of something, or someone collapsing to the ground. "Uh oh." Now just remembering that there was one other person with him, Ryou whipped his head around to check on his younger companion.

"Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa..." Sitting on his knees at least a good few feat away from Ryou was Hikaru, his small figure quaking in fear and looking down to the ground, his messy brown hair casting a shadow over his eyes as he slowly breathed in and out and held himself with both arms in a vain attempt to stop his body from shaking.

Seeing this, Ryou jumped off of the monster and jogged towards the poor boy, stopping just right beside him and taking a knee. Quickly inspecting the boys form, Ryou sighed in relief seeing that he wasn't hurt. Still, he was worried about Hikarus current state.

("He musta been holding it in this whole time...I don't even think he notices me right now.") Ryou raised his right hand and brought it up just in front of Hikarus face, waving it lightly.

"Haa...Haa...Haa..."

("Crap, no reaction.") He reeled his hand back to his side, sighing to himself as the young boy continued to shake in fear. Going against better judgement, Ryou decided for a more hands on approach, and reached out with his left to gently hold onto the boys shoulder.

"...!" Hikaru jolted on the spot, his breathing halted as his head cautiously turned toward Ryou.

"Hey, hey. Chillax kid, it's just me." Upon looking to his right and confirming Ryous presence, Hikarus features slowly but surely started to lighten up, his hair making way and revealing his soft blue eyes, looking to him in a mixture of relief and anxiety.

"So...you OK?" He asked the obvious. After taking a deep breath, Hikaru shook his head from side to side to him.

"No...not really." The boy answered honestly. "What about you? Are you- *Gasp* Ryou, you're arm!"

"Huh? My arm?" Looking to where Hikaru pointed, Ryou quickly sees that the upper portion of his right arm has a nasty gash across it, bleeding profusely as the blood stains the torn portion of his jackets sleeve.

"Oh shit. Didn't even notice that. Guess it must of got me when it back-attacked us." Ryou commented as his left hand covered the wound and held it tight, wincing in pain in the process. "Don't sweat it kid. This will heal itself eve-"

"No, that won't do!" Ryou tried to wave it off as his regeneration could simply close the wound in a matter of minutes. Hikaru, on the other hand, didn't seem as convinced, completely forgetting about his earlier fear in favor of Ryous injury.

"Stay still for a moment."

"Huh? what do ya...?"

"Trust me, you'll see." Hikaru scooted over to Ryous injured arm, gently taking his hand and moving it away from the injury. The little boy flinched at the slight severity of the wound in question, but stayed silent as he closed his eyes and reached his hand out to it.

Ryou plainly just looks confused, trying to figure out what the hell the kid was doing. Not a moment too soon, a pale blue aura began to envelop Hikaru as a familiar rune appeared right in front of his hand pointed towards the wound, albeit much smaller than before.

("Wait, this is...") Ryou almost instantly recognized the rune, recalling the events from not too long ago.

"Da Capo." the rune shined brightly as Ryou tried to cover his eyes with his available hand. As soon as it died down, Ryou took a peak in between his fingers to see what exactly happened.

"Huh!? What the-!?" Looking at his arm, Ryou saw that his injury was completely healed. Not only that, but the torn fabric was also somehow stitched back together, as if the injury never happened.

"Is that better?" The boy asked, with Ryou looking back and forth between him and his now apparently healed arm in amazement and confusion.

"Whoa. It's like new." Ryou answered before turning his gaze back to the boy. "Kid, how did you do that?"

Not answering immediately, Hikaru brought his hand out and the rune appeared on his hand once more.

"This, is the power of Da Capo." Hikaru said as he took a breath and continued to explain. "Meaning "The Restored World", Da Capo is a spell that can restore the status of an object and or person within a 24 hour time frame if the user has seen it in a better condition within that time. If someone has a broken arm or if a tree was split in half, if I had seen it earlier, before it came to that point, I can restore it in that condition."

"...So, in other words, it's like some sorta reset button?"

"You can say that, yes." Hikaru answered as Ryou took a better look at the fix. It truly did look as if they weren't attacked at all.

("Well, at least I don't have to worry about getting my cloths torn or any major injuries at least.") He mused in his thoughts.

"...I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Ryous gaze turned back to the boy upon hearing his apology. "Why are you apologizing kid?

"...You only got yourself injured because I didn't move fast enough, so it's my fault this happened." Hikaru answered somberly as he held both hands to his chest and gave a small bow. "I'm really sorry."

"...Meh, don't sweat the small stuff kid." Ryou casually waved it off in response.

"B-But..." Hikaru tried to insist, but Ryou stopped him in his tracks by petting his head, although a bit roughly.

"Look, I'm used to this sorta thing alright, so it ain't no big deal." Ryou assures him as he gives the boy his usual smirk and a thumbs up. "Besides, it's a heroes job to defend the little guy, so as long as you're OK, nothings gonna bring me down."

"Y-You..."

"Anyways, no use moping around here..." Ryou got up, dusted himself off and stretched in place. "C'mon kid, let's go. We gotta go find the girls and figure out where we are."

"..."

"Well? Don't just sit there. Let's go!"

"O-Oh, right!" On his insistence, Hikaru got up onto his feet, gathered his barrings and caught up with Ryou as the two boys walked down the abandoned access tunnel.

As they made there way around the cracks in the pavement as well as scattered debris, Ryou allowed his mind to wander for a little while, taking in his current situation with a mostly clear head. How can a small orange console have the function to warp people into, well, wherever the hell this is? Are Neptune and Nepgear alright? Will Histoire or one of Neptunes friends notice that they are all missing. and more immediately...

("What is the deal with this kid? One minute he was scared out of his mind and in the next he had the balls to cast spells at that freaks face.") Ryou thought to himself as his gaze goes down to his side where his child companion is.

Now that he thinks about it, so far, Hikaru Yoshino has been a pretty weird child in the eyes of the former LOGIN agent. When they first actually met, he was pretty defensive, even so far as to mistake Ryou for a thief. When they met again a little while ago, he seemed pretty timid and kind of awkward, especially since they had company nearby.

Not only that, but there were a few things about this kid that were weird in general. He tends to speak his mind in some pretty inconvenient times, he seems a bit too smart, even for someone his own age, was practically crazy enough to go on a few hour trek form his home town to Planeptune just to give Ryou a badass sword, he apologizes frequently for stuff that wasn't even his own fault, and is so polite it almost made Ryou want to vomit.

But what got his attention was his general attitude just now. Under normal circumstances, Hikaru doesn't seem like the kind of person who would just stand up for himself in any given situation. Heck, Ryou was betting he'd probably shut-down completely.

However, if there is one thing Ryou knows for certain, is that after what he's seen back at his village and especially after that fight, he is more than willing to stand up for others, even to the point where he would stick his neck out for them. Something that, while he would not admit to the kids face, he actually kind of respects.

In fact, looking at Hikaru now, while he does look a bit timid like before, he could still see some sparks of fire in the boys eyes. It almost reminds Ryou of when he was a little younger, before he first met Yamato. Granted, he was nothing like the shy village boy when he was his age, he was hesitant to admit that there were a few moments in his childhood where he wasn't really sure of himself. Even so, every time he did, he just kept telling himself to always push forward, always strive to achieve his dream.

Then again, he was like that when he was a kid. Maybe even a little now...just a little though.

"...I feel kind of bad for it now."

"Huh?" Hikarus voice snapped Ryou out of his thoughts as he looked straight to the boy. Their eyes meet for a moment before Hikaru averted his eyes in embarrassment, clearly showing that the boy was unconsciously speaking his mind again.

"Kid?" Reluctantly, Hikaru decided to clarify as they continued to walk.

"I feel bad for it...the monster I mean."

"...Huh? Why the hell are you feeling sorry for that thing? It tried to kill us back there!"

"I know, but still...it doesn't feel right."

"What doesn't?"

"...Taking a life."

"..."

*FACEPALM!*

"Kid, look. When something is trying to kill you, your first reaction is to fight back! I mean it's not like you could just talk your way out of fighting, especially if it's a giant freak trying to kill you!"

Ryou didn't mean to yell at the kid, but he couldn't help it. That was bar none, the dumbest thing he has ever heard in his life. Who in there right mind would feel sorry for killing a monster? Especially one that was trying to maul the two of them just a little while ago!?

"I know. I understand that, there are times where I need to defend myself." Much to his surprise, Hikaru replied to his angry question in a surprisingly calm manner. Before he could say anything else, Hikaru continues. "It's just that...I shouldn't be proud in taking another life, regardless if it's a human or monster of whatever else. No one should be proud of that. It's just not right!"

"Well, it's not like everyone would do that for fun. That would be the first sign of a serial killer." Ryou snarks before continuing. "Besides, in situations like that, it's kill or be killed, no two ways about it." Ryou states bluntly.

He should know things like this as if it were second nature. Living in the slums for most of his life taught Ryou a lot of things, one of which is this:

If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don't fight, you can't win. To Ryou, it's as simple as that.

"Is it?"

"Hmm?" Ryou looked back down at the kid, and almost took a double take as Hikaru was now looking straight at him, giving Ryou a determined glare. And what Hikaru asked next, Ryou didn't even see coming.

"Can you really solve any and every problem you encounter by fighting? Are you sure there isn't a way to resolve something without resorting to bloodshed?"

Those were very simple questions, but to Ryou, those words hit him like a truck. After all, he's practically been fighting for almost his entire life now, and this is the very first time anyone, period, has really questioned his way of life like this. Not even Yamato did that.

Not only that, but just the way Hikaru said it was really off. No one would ever really expect such words to come from a child. In fact, to Ryou, those words sounded like they belonged to someone like Histoire.

Ryou just simply averted his own gaze away from the boy. He truly didn't know how to respond. Seeing this, Hikaru suddenly lost courage and turned his gaze away as well, now feeling a little ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry...I probably shouldn't have said anything."

"...Whatever."

Nothing else needed to be said. The two boys simply walked on forward in silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

("This is so damn awkward.") Ryou thought to himself as they continued to walk down the now seemingly endless corridor.

While he certainly didn't get what Hikaru was saying, but right now, anything seems to be better than just walking in dead silence. At least the kid can hold a decent conversation, which in Ryou mind, already made Hikaru much better than Neptune.

...Granted, his usual timid attitude only put him on par with Nepgear, but that's beside the point.

Ryou put a hand to his chin and began to think up a topic for a conversation. It doesn't really have to be important, just anything to break this awkward silence.

"...Hey kid."

"Hmm?" Hikaru gave his full, undivided attention to Ryou as the young man continued to look onward.

"What do ya think of them?" Ryou asked the boy the first thing that came to his head.

"Think of who?" Hikaru tilted his head at the vagueness of the question.

"Y'know, Nep and Gear. The CPUs?" He clarified as he held two fingers up.

"Oh, Lady Neptune and Lady Nepgear?" Hikaru looked down and put his own hand to his chin in contemplation. I don't really know...I have only just met them."

"Take your time. You not under a time limit here." Ryou sarcastically reassured.

"Hmm..." Hikaru gathered his thoughts in silence as Ryou made a side-ways glance to the boy. He could see Hikaru was thinking long and hard about it, when in hindsight, he didn't really need to.

"Hmm...Well, for Lady Nepgear, you were right when you said she was a nice person." Hikaru finally spoke with a gentle smile. "She is very kind and polite and didn't mind having me around or when I address her as Lady Nepgear. In fact, she's almost kind of like...no, she is like an angel." The boy clarified in a happy tone, something that surprised Ryou a little bit.

("Hmm. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've seen this kid smile like that. Wonder why?") Ryou thought to himself as Hikaru continued.

"As for Lady Neptune, well...Hmmm." Hikaru put his thinking cap on once more as he tried to find the words. This time however, it seemed to take him a little longer to think. Ryou didn't blame him though. As he said before everything went to hell, there really isn't any way to accurately described Neptune.

"Hmm...geez, how can I say this without coming off as rude?" Hikaru voiced his own thoughts.

"Then go ahead and say what ya want. I don't mind." Ryou said to him as he put his hands behind his head. Hikaru looked at him for a moment, surprised and a little shocked at what he said, before turning his head back down and back to his own thoughts.

"Well..." After what seemed like a while, Hikaru finally spoke up. "I've heard stories about how Lady Purple Heart is a wise and just ruler. She is strict, but fair, and always looks out for others, even when they aren't her own people. I've also heard that she's very elegant, beautiful and brave."

("Yeah...when she is in HDD.") Ryou snarked, and unlike his companion, he actually kept it in is head.

"And, um..."

"And?"

"Well, how should I put this...When I met Lady Neptune..."

"Yeah?"

"She seemed..."

"Uh-Huh?"

"...Really, really weird."

"...Kid?"

"Yes?" Hikaru turned to Ryou and they looked in each-others eyes.

"...You have no goddamned idea."

"Swear."

"Yeah, whatever." Ryou shrugged. ("Though saying she's weird doesn't even come close in my...Huh?") Ryou mused in his head as he turned it forward, only to see a small glimmer up ahead as he stopped in place.

"Huh?" Hikaru stops as he sees Ryou looking on ahead. "Ryou, what's wrong?"

"Kid, look up ahead. I think I see a light." Ryou pointed down the tunnel. Hikaru did as he was told as he squinted his eyes to see ahead. True enough, a small glimmer of light made itself know to the two of them.

"Is that the exit up ahead?"

"Well, if it is, then maybe we can actually figure out where we are." Ryou replied as he tapped his boots to the ground and was prepared to go into a sprint. "Let's race over kid. Last one there is a rotten egg!"

"Wait what!?"

*WOOOSH*

Before Hikaru had time to think, Ryou had already dashed off ahead of him and gain a fair distance, and he wasn't even using Acceleration.

"Huh!? H-Hey, wait for me Ryou!" Hikaru yelled out as he broke out into a run right behind him.

They both ran straight down the tunnel the fastest their feet could carry them. Ryou looked back behind him to see if the kid is at least catching up. Much to his surprise, Hikaru actually was starting to catch up, if only a little, jumping over large potholes and skillfully dodging or jumping over piece of debris that got into his path.

("Hmm, he isn't half bad. Then again, he probably had to be if he was living out in the middle of nowhere for most of his life.") Ryou thought to himself as he put his gaze back in front of him, narrowly dodging a boulder that was right in front of him as they both got closer and closer to the light. Soon enough, the light began to expand bigger and bigger with each step.

"Alright kid, one final push! We're almost there!"

"OK!"

With a burst of energy, both boys ran even faster than they already could, darting straight towards the light as they quickly came closer to it. Within seconds, they both ran straight through the light at the end of the tunnel and ran a good few feet before stopping to take a breath, Ryou supporting himself with his hands to his knees and Hikaru holding his chest tightly as he breathed heavily.

"Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa..."

"Haaaa...Haaaa...Haaaa..."

Once they have cooled down and properly caught there breath, they both looked up and took in there new surroundings.

...Only for there faces to go pale and their eyes shrunk at the unbelievable site before them.

"Holeeey shit..."

"By the Goddesses..."

Both boys gaped at the scenery in front of them in shock. Everything they are seeing looks like it all came straight out of a Post-Apocalyptic story. They were in what looks like a city, or rather what's left of it. Most of the buildings and architecture have either been destroyed or collapsed entirely, with glowing cracks in almost all of them, and there were dozens upon dozens of monsters roaming around the streets below and on the rooftops. Not only that, but looking up to the night sky, it was bad enough it was colored an ominous shade of purple, but the same kind of cracks that are seen around them are practically all over the sky. It's as of the fabric of space and time is falling apart at the seems.

"T-This...this is horrible." Hikaru said as he gasped for breath, collapsing onto his knees and holding himself in fear. "W-Where... are we? W-Who, or what did this?"

Ryou could only stand around, taking in his surroundings only slightly better than Hikaru did.

He will admit that he has seen some pretty screwed up shit in general, but the damage done everywhere here is completely unimaginable. Not even a nuclear blast could cause this much destruction.

Ryou couldn't even believe what he was seeing. One minute they were all in Planeptunes Basilicom, and now here they stand, just him and the village boy in a foreign world that looks almost uninhabitable with Neptune or Nepgear no where to be seen. Absolutely no amount of training could prepare him for something like this.

"Wha-What the hell? Where are we?" Ryou muttered out, a small glimpse of fear making itself known in his voice.

As he and Hikaru stood in the midst of this destroyed city, out of nowhere, Ryou recalls a small bit of advice passed on from Yamato.

("Remember Ryou, you have to keep a level-head, even in the most dangerous of situations. Otherwise, you won't last very long out on the battlefield.")

Remembering his words, Ryou took a deep breath and straighten himself out before turning to his child companion. If they are going to go anywhere, he's going to have to calm Hikaru down first. Calmly (at least as calmly as he could be) walking up to an taking a knee beside the poor boy and placed a hand to his shoulder, prompting Hikaru to turn to him, still shaking form the shock of the situation.

"Kid, listen to me. I know things look, well, kinda shit..."

"Swear."

"Whatever, but right now, I need you to be a big boy and try to be calm.

"B-But..."

"*sigh* Good grief." Ryou muttered as he raised his hand from Hikarus shoulder to his head. "Now listen, I need you to stay close to me no matter. We'll find a way back home, I swear it on my honor as a hero. But for now we both need to get our crap together and focus. Think ya can manage that?" Ryou asks while putting on a brave smile.

Seeing this, Hikarus shaking began to subside and his earlier terror slowly faded away. The boy closed his eyes and breathed in and out before getting back up on his feet.

"Y-Yes, I understand. Sorry about that." Hikaru apologizes as he calmed down, with Ryou simply waving his hand.

"Meh, no worries kid." ("Hell, even I'm kinda spooked about this whole thing...not that he would know that.") Ryou thought to himself as he too rose to his feet.

"...It's just like Grandfather said...I have to stay determined, no matter what." Hikaru thought out loud.

"Huh? You say somethin'?"

"Wha? N-No. Don't mind me Ryou. I'll try not to be a burden." Hikaru said quickly, with Ryou shrugging in response.

("After what happened earlier with that freak of nature, I actually doubt it.") Ryou thought to himself, remembering the boys magical prowess from there fight with the monster, despite Ryou doing the bulk of the damage.

("Heh, funny. It almost kinda feels like I'm being put in your shoes now Teach.") Ryou mused to himself. Despite all his boasting about being a hero, he doesn't exactly consider himself a leader. Yet in this bleak situation, he decided to take charge and look after someone he's only known for less than a day. Honestly, he amazes himself sometimes.

"Alright, now that that's done, let's go find-"

"Wh, Wh, Wha...WHAT IS THIIIIIIIIIS!?"

"Nep!?

"Lady Neptune!?" The two of them sprung to there feet upon hearing the CPUs shrilled voice.

"Kid, look around! That couldn't have been very far!"

"Yes!"

The two of them looked over the destroyed city, scanning every inch of landscape in front of them hoping to see even a small sign of the purple CPUs.

("Ugh, you think those two would be easy to spot in this hell hole. Just where are...?")

"...! I see something!" Hikaru called out, prompting Ryou to walk up to the boy in a brisk pace.

"What is it? Is it the girls!?"

"No, it isn't Lady Neptune or Lady Nepgear, but it's definitely a person."

("There's someone else out here besides us?") "Where are they?" Ryou asked as he knelt down behind the boy to get a view of where he could be looking at.

"Over there." Hikaru points to an open area not to far from there position. "I think it's a girl... *Gasp* and she's surrounded by monsters!"

"What!?" Ryou looked straight where he was pointing to, and much to his surprise, there was in fact someone there fighting what looked like a bunch of robots. However, as he looks at the girl, he noted that this girl looks familiar, so he decides to take a better look.

 ***BA-BUMP!***

"T-That's...!" as her image became clearer to him, his blood froze as he instantly recognized who it was.

The girl in question has pale skin with orange-red eyes and long maroon hair, tied into long twintails and held on by triangular hair-clips. She wears a very small black tube top under an opened white jacket with a bright orange, black, and white tie. She also wears a pair of pleated shorts worn with a pair of thin black suspenders, black fingerless gloves over a pair of orange and black sleeves with what looks like a communicator on her left wrist, matching socks, black shoes and a pair of black leg warmers with buttons on them.

"...Oh crap, that IS her!" Wasting absolutely no time, Ryou jumped over Hikaru and dashed forward to the girls current position. "Hey kid, get the lead out! We gotta help her!"

"R-Right!" Hikaru answered as he too began to run as Ryou accelerated onward, hoping to get to her in time

* * *

"Yaaaah!"

 ***PAWNCH!***

"Groar...!?" The mechanized monster groaned as the maroon haired girl landed a devastating blow with her orange and black megaphone and caused it to malfunction and collapse. However, as soon as that monster was defeated, more of them appeared to take it's place.

"Tch, these pricks are still crawling outta the wood-works..." The girl said to herself. As the monsters inched closer, her communicator rang, signalling her to run for cover behind some debris and answer the call.

"Uzume here. Go ahead."

"We are about halfway through evacuations. I'd advise you start heading back now." the voice on the other end said.

"What the hell- are you freaking kidding me!? HALF!? We need to get 'em all outta here!" Uzume yelled as a laser from one of the monsters just barely missed her from behind cover. "Besides, if I leave these bastards alone, they're just gonna be on our tails all night. This is gonna end..." She trailed as a monster stood from behind cover and casted a shadow over her.

"...right here!" Not even phased, she jumps out from cover and proceeded to knee the monster in it's giant eye, causing it to fall backwards as she got herself some distance.

"Dear me...just don't overdo it." The caller advised.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it Umio." She answers as he hung up and faced the monsters in front of her. She takes a deep breath and gets ready for a fight.

"...I'm the only who can fight anyways..."

"...Then I guess it's hero time for me!"

"Huh!?" Uzume turned around, but found herself bracing against the wind as something ran right past her at incredible speeds. Before she knew it, the sound of cold steel tearing through metal rang in her ears.

Whipping back around, she spotted a teenager with a red and black coat, with a matching broadsword embedded into the robot. In a blink of an eye, the young man struck and tore the monster in half with his blade, each half falling onto the ground as he spun his sword around and place it onto his shoulder.

"What the- a person!?" Uzume stood both amazed and impressed at how the swordsman made quick work of that monster...actually, she was more amazed it was an actual person and not another monster.

"Wohoho, alright! That took care of that!" Ryou hollered as he planted the sword in the ground and faced towards her. "Hey, Uzume, you alright over there?"

"Huh? Wait, hold on, do I even know you?... Wait, forget that. Who are you, and how do you know my name!?" Not recognizing him at first glance, she took a fighting stance and cautiously stepped forward towards him to see if he was a friend or a foe.

"What? You don't recognize me? It's me, Ryou. Remember?"

"WHA!?" The instant she heard that name, she broke out in a jog and stopped just inches from him. taking a moment to catch her breath, she got a much better look at him, and soon became wide-eyed and rigid. Shock and surprise was written all over her face.

"R-Ryou?...is that, really you?"

"Look out!"

*ZAP*

"Groar...!?"

Before they could speak in length, a bolt of lightning zipped past them and struck at another one of the robots that was close by and getting ready to attack, stunning it.

"Whoa, that was close." Ryou said as Hikaru finally caught up. "Hey, nice timing kid!"

"Haa...Haa... Can you slow down a little next time please?" He asked as he was catching his breath.

"Huh!? What's a kid doing here?" Uzume asked, surprised to see a young child out and about in these parts.

*Vrrrrrrr...* (Hey, uh, we're still over here...) One of the robots sounded out, alerting the three of them of the remaining three monsters in the area.

"Listen, we can catch up later. Lets deal with these guys first, alright?" Ryou said as he pulled his sword out of the ground and faced his enemies.

"A-Alright." Uzume answered as she and Hikaru ready themselves as well.

("I can't believe it. It's actually him!") She thought to herself. While she didn't show it, she was very glad to see him. She had a lot of questions right now, but opted to finish the enemy before she could.

"Be careful everyone!" Hikaru advised.

"Noted kid...alright, let's gun it!"

(BGM playing: Voltage, from Megadimension Neptunia VII)

Ryou and Uzume charged forward towards the monsters as Hikaru stayed behind to provide backup. Two of the mechanical monsters stepped forward to meet with there opponents and open fired with laser beams from there abdomens, blasting them in a wide arc in an attempt to catch them both in the blast. Seeing this, Ryou and Uzume high-jumped to evade the blasts.

"Oh Hammer of Heavenly Thunder, release your shocking force and spread out!" After finishing the incantation as the two robots stopped firing, Hikaru clapped his hands together as electricity surged through both his arms. "Chain Lightning!" With both his hands, Hikaru fired a powerful arc of lightning straight at one of the robots, with several more arcs spreading out from it and hitting the other two robots at once, severely damaging and stunning them as Ryou and Uzume both stood above them in mid-air.

"Dream Roar!" Uzume brought her megaphone up and screamed into it, creating a shockwave so powerful it both damaged and knocked back the two robots in the front away from one another. Not wasting this opportunity, Uzume and Ryou both split up to attack them one at a time.

"Alright, ya heap of metal, here I come! Dream Smash Fist!" Uzume roared as she tossed her megaphone in the air and gathered energy into her fist, taking on the shape of a spiral drill. As she ran closer to her target, the robot got back up and attempted to fire another laser. Unfortunately, she rammed her fist straight into the robots abdomen/cannon before it could fire, causing it to explode and get sent flying a ways back as Uzume charged after it.

On Ryous side, he charged straight for his target, and upon getting in close, he jumped straight above it and prepped his next attack.

"Lightning Blade!" He yelled out as he drove his sword straight down at the robot, the shock of the attack stunning it and doing massive damage. As it remained stunned, Ryou pulled out the longsword out of the sheath, jumped off the robot and proceeded to slash its legs off at high speeds, causing it to fall over with its head facing him.

Wasting no time, he ran for it again and rammed his sword back in it's sheath, driving the broadsword even further into it's body. Ryou then quickly yanked it out and gained some distance, preparing to finish it off.

"Here goes." Ryou muttered as the image of a certain twin-tailed girl filled his mind. "Lightning Chain!" Ryou dashed forward and used the same attack he used before, slashing the monster at high speeds and then giving it a round-house kick, causing the robot to tumble down on its back. With his back turn, Ryou raised his hand and snapped his fingers, causing many lightning slashes to finish off the robot for good.

"Yeheah! That's how I roll ya sonova-!"

"Look out!" Hearing the warning, Ryou whipped his head around to see the third and last of the robots closing in and getting ready to fire.

Before he could even think about dodging, two Sylph Shields zipped past him and slash the robots cannon in an x-formation. The shields flew behind the robot and then just as quickly, came straight back like boomerangs and cut off both its arms. As it staggered from the damage, Hikaru ran past Ryou as he gather magic into his hands.

"Frost Wave!" Clapping his hands together again and waving them in an arc in front of him, Hikaru launched a slow, yet wide wave of ice and snow straight at the robots legs, freezing them solid and effectively immobilizing the robot. Hikaru turned his head to Ryou and gave him a reluctant nod, signalling him to finish the fight.

"Alright...Time to finish this!" Ryou hoisted his broadsword high above his head and gathered energy into the blade before slamming it down onto the ground, firing off a giant blade beam straight at the monster and rend it asunder straight in half, ending the fight as it fell apart in two and exploded.

(BGM fades)

"Now that is how it's done." Ryou said, strapping his sword back onto his back as Hikaru walked up to him.

"Phew, I'm just glad the fighting is over." he sighed in relief. "Are you OK Ryou, do you need me to heal you?"

"Naw, I'm alright. See, look, not a scratch on me." Ryou boasted, and unlike the fight before, he didn't get hit once.

"That's a relief." Hikaru said with a smile. Afterwhich, Ryou took a good look around and noticed something a little odd.

("Weird, coulda sworn there were more enemies than this?...Wait, did Uzume take them all on her own? Holy cra-!")

 ***BOOOM!***

Both boys turn to the sound of the explosion, seeing a cloud of smoke coming out from the side of a building nearby. After a few seconds, Uzume casually walked out of the smoke-cloud, dusting herself off and strapping her megaphone to her side as she is walking towards the boys.

"*Whistles* Man, looks like she made quick work of that thing." Ryou mused as he waved on her direction. "Hey Uzume, we're over here!"

Uzume proceeded to casually walk up to them, but Ryou quickly noticed something as she came closer. For one, she was getting faster the closer she got, almost running at them, has a scowl over her face...and she is looking straight at him.

"Uhh, Uzume? What are you doing? Uzume?"

As soon as she close enough, she broke out into a sprint, and then...

"YOU...IDIOOOT!"

 ***PAWNCH!***

"Guuaaaah!"

"Awawawawawa!?"

Before they could even blink, Uzume ran up to Ryou and gave him a fierce upper cut, sending him flying a good few feet as Hikaru watched in shock. Ryous body skipped across the broken asphalt like a pebble on a lake before skidding to a stop.

"What, the, fuck!?" Ryou yelled out in pain and confusion. Just as he tried to get back up, Uzume leaped forward and landed on his chest, pinning his arms down with her legs.

"Hey, what the-?"

 ***PUNCH***

"Ow!"

"Are ya freakin' kidding me!? I haven't seen you in 11 years and then ya pop up outta nowhere and say 'hey'!?"

 ***PUNCH* *PUNCH***

"Just where the hell were you!? Do you have any idea how worried I was!?"

 ***PUNCH* *JAB* *BITCH-SLAP***

"Ack! Hey, Uzume, calm down and quit punching me!"

"No, I won't! Not until you tell me where you were, you idiot!"

"I'll tell you once you knock it the hell off! And wouldja stop calling me an idiot?"

"I'm saying that because you _are_ an idiot, idiot!" Uzume raised a fist for another punch square in Ryous face.

"PLEASE, STOP IT!"

 ***WOOOSH***

"Huh!?"

However, her fist was stopped dead in its tracks by a green shield of wind just a few inches from Ryous face. Looking behind her, she sees Hikaru holding his hands out, a look of fear and worry adorning his face.

"Please, just calm down. You don't have to do this!"

"Stay out of this kid! This is between me and him!" Uzume rejects the boys plea as she just turned her attention back to the young man she is on top of an began to punch the barrier. Seeing this, Hikaru held out both hands and poured more magic into the Sylph Shield, strengthening it greatly as Uzume unleashed a rapid barrage of punches.

"Hey, Uzume! Cut it out already, wouldja!?"

"No!"

 ***PUNCH* *PUNCH* *PUNCH* *PUNCH* *PUNCH* *PUNCH***

"Please, just stop!" Hikaru pleads once more.

"Dammit, what's up with you!?" Ryou asked as Uzume reeled her fist back for another punch, hoping to smash the shield in one shot. Ryou closed his eyes and braces himself for impact...but it never came.

"Huh?" Opening them back up, he sees that Uzumes fist stopped dead in front of the the shield, panting heavily. Before he realized it, he felt his shirt getting a little wet. Directing his gaze, he sees a small water stain on his shirt, and before he knew it, a few drops came falling down. Looking up to the source as Hikaru takes a cautious step forward in the background, Ryou managed to finally get a good look at Uzumes face.

"Haa...Haa...*sniff* Haa..."

She looked angry, glaring at him as she grit her teeth...but at the same time, she was crying.

"Why..."

"Huh?"

"Why *sniff*...Why did you decide to come back into my life now?"

"Uzume..." Ryou was pretty stunned at what he was seeing now. One minute, this girl was beating on giant robots like a badass, and now here she is sobbing right on top of him.

...Then again, if he weren't who he was now, he'd probably react the same way after meeting someone you know after a long time.

"...Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? Ryou, you idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot!" Uzume proceeded to beat him on the chest, albeit much softer than her previous punches. Seeing that she really doesn't mean any real harm, Hikaru canceled out his spell, causing the shield in front of Ryous face to disappear.

Meanwhile, Ryou allowed Uzume to beat on his chest for a little while longer as more tears stained his shirt, all the while he signaled Hikaru with his eyes to stay put, with the young boy nodding as he walked a little closer and stood to the side.

As the red-haired tomboy continues, Ryou can't help but remember the night with Noire in the forest. Seeing the proud Black Heart in such an emotionally vulnerable state doesn't really happen to just anyone, much less him. And yet, for him to act so out of character and actually comfort her felt pretty good, if not gratifying. And now here he is, letting Uzume vent her feelings out on him.

Someone he truly knows. Someone...that he, for a while, thought he lost for good.

 **(Flashback)**

"So, this friend of yours...what was her name again? Uzume Tennouboshi?" Yamato asked Ryou. The two of them had just finished a hunting quest from LOGIN HQ as a part of Ryous training, and are now sitting on a log outside the Virtua Forest, Yamato taking a sip from a water bottle and Ryou enjoying some lemon yogurt.

"Yep, that's her name." Ryou answered back as he devoured what was left inside the cup and casually threw it behind him. "Aw, man that hit the spot."

"Yeah. So, just out of curiosity, what was she like?"

"Why so curious Teach?"

"Well, you do mention her a few times every now and then, and knowing you, she has to be someone important." Yamato said as he raised an eyebrow to his pupil.

"Hey, what's that suppose to mean!?" Ryou shot back at the possible implications.

"Nothing." Yamato casually waved off as he took another sip of water. "Anyways, is there anything you can tell me?"

"Well..." Ryou trailed off as he turned his gaze to the midday sky. "She's pretty bubbly, can be very innocent, and has a really bad habit of daydreaming. She can also be pretty damn affectionate, almost to the point where it's suffocating! Hell, I remember this one time...well..."

"Well, what?" Yamato asked as he tried taking another sip.

"...Have you ever seen a 5 year old groping a 30-something nanny with double D tits?" Ryou asked plainly.

"PFFT *Cough* *Cough*!" Yamato spat out and coughed up the water he was drinking before looking at Ryou, with quite possibly the goofiest WTF face he's seen yet.

"Haa...You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope Teach, I shit you not." Ryou answers bluntly.

"Well...Hell of a friend you got there kid." Yamato said as he looked at the bottle of water in his hand. seeing that there's none left, he simply set it down on the ground next to him.

"Yeah, no kidding...though, it's been a long time since I've seen her."

"Hmm?" Yamato immediately turned his gaze back to Ryou upon hearing those words. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. I haven't seen in her years. Don't even know if she's still alive."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, remember when you asked me why I wanted to be a hero...and what happened before I met you?"

"...You mean 'that'?" Yamato asks bluntly, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he were remembering a recent tragedy. "Well, that explains it."

"Yeah." Ryou said as he continued to stare into the sky and leaned back on the log.

"...Well, maybe she's still out there somewhere."

"Huh?" This time, Ryou is the one to look at Yamato. "What makes you so sure?"

"Call it a gut feeling." Yamato shrugged. "Besides, knowing you and your luck, you're bound to run into her eventually...and probably not in a good way, heh." Yamato snarked.

"Heeeeey!" Ryou complained as Yamato got up and did a few stretches.

"Welp, time to get going Ryou. Mitsuo might skin us if we keep Hideyoshi waiting." Yamato told his student as he walked on ahead.

"No need to tell me twice. that dude always gives me the creeps." Ryou commented as he walked from behind his mentor. As the two made there way back to base, Ryou looked off into the distance as he mulled over Yamatos words, wondering where she could be right now.

 **(Flashback end)**

"Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa..."

After what seemed like a while, Uzume stopped beating on Ryou and simply sat on top of him(in a rather compromising position) with her hands to his chest, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes.

"So...you good?"

"Haa...Haa...Yeah, I think so..."

"Sooo...do ya mind getting off me now?"

"...Sure." Uzume calmly got up and stood right beside Ryou as he sat up from his position, with Hikaru watching what will happen next from the sidelines. Stretching his arms and popping his neck for a moment, Ryou turned to Uzume, who was looking down to the ground.

He couldn't read her expression since her bangs were still covering her eyes, nor could he tell what she was thinking. Understandable, since to them it had been years since they last spoke. 11 years if Uzume was correct. In fact, some part of him was questioning if this was really her or not.

...but something deep within him knows for a fact that it's her.

After a while, Ryou decided to be the first to speak as he jumped off the ground from his back and back onto his feet.

"Well then, now may not be the right time but..." he trailed off as he scratched the back of his head and looked straight at Uzume with a friendly smile. "Hey Uzume...it's been a while hasn't it?" Ryou greeted casually.

Uzume stood there silently as she breathed in and out and clenched her fists. For a minute, it looked like she was going to punch him again. However, after a brief moment, she raised her head and looked at him dead in the eyes...

"...Yeah, it has. It's nice to see ya again, Ryou." She answered back as she gave him a big smile as she wiped away the small amount of tears remaining in her eyes. "So, how have ya been?"

"Yeah, could be doing better, could be doing worse." Ryou waved off, not really wanting to tell her he lost his chance at being a hero and is now stuck at a dead-end job. "How about you?"

"Not exactly well to be honest. Then again, you can tell by just looking around the place." Uzume pointed out the destruction around them. As she did, her gaze suddenly fell onto Hikaru, who was just standing there listening the entire time. "Hey, Ryou, who's this?" She refereed to the little boy.

"Oh him? That's Hikaru. He's...uhh." Ryou paused for a moment, not really sure what to call Hikaru.

("Now that I think about it, just what is he to me?") Despite there little moment of bonding they had back at the tunnel, they have only known eachother for like a good few hours before getting wrapped up into this mess. Then again, this sort of thing is how he and Yamato met...

("Wait, that's it!") "He's my protege!" Ryou exclaimed as he pointed a finger at the boy.

"You're what?"

"Huh?" Both parties were understandably confused at his proclamation.

"Well, long story short, I was killing a bunch of monster, keeping the peace, and he came up to me and gave me this cool sword I got right here. Seeing that he was all alone, and being the hero that I am, I decided to bring him with me." Ryou told her an abridged version of what really happened in there first official meeting.

Hikaru looked at him, clearly confused at what he had just told her. Seeing this, Ryou simply lipped "Roll with it." to him. While clearly hesitant to go along with a half-truth like this, Hikaru reluctantly nodded to him as Uzume stood in thought before turning her attention back to Hikaru.

(There are really...other humans...that survived? And a kid no less?") Uzume thought to herself as she looked at the young boy from top to bottom.

"I can't believe it..." she said unconsciously.

"What can't you believe?" Hikaru questioned as he tilted his head.

"Oh, sorry kid. It's just... I can't remember the last time I've seen any people other than Ryou, much less fighting along side them." Uzume answered as she scratched her cheek.

("Wait, what the hell? What does she mean she can't remember seeing other people?") Ryou asked internally upon hearing Uzumes words.

"Oh, I see...I'm very sorry to hear that. It must be really lonely." Hikaru said to her, almost empathetically.

"Yeah, it kinda does. But it's no big deal to me!" Uzume tries to put on a brave face, but it would seem that even Hikaru could see through her bluff, though he chose to not say anything. "So anyways, it's nice to meetcha kid! The name is Uzume Tennouboshi." She introduced herself proper to the child as she reached her hand out to him.

"It's really nice to meet you to miss Uzume. My name is Hikaru Yoshino." He greeted her back as he reached his hand out to hers and gave a firm handshake.

"Likewise Hikarsy."

"Hikarsy?" Hikaru looked to Ryou, understandably confused at the sudden nickname.

"She tends to do that kid. She really likes giving people nicknames, so just roll with it." Ryou advised.

"Oh, O-Ok. Then." Hikaru answered.

"Do ya like it? Don't you think it's a cool nickname?" Uzume asked.

"...Actually yes, I do." Hikaru nodded, with a small blush forming on his cheeks ("This is...the first time anyone has given me a nickname. It feels nice.")

"Alright! Cool...also, for the record, just call me Uzume. Callin' me miss just makes it sound like I'm someones grandma or something."

"I KNOW RIGHT!?" Ryou shouted from behind them.

"Oh, OK...Uzume." Hikaru answered. Though as he took a moment to take a look at her and Ryou, a simple question popped to the forefront of his mind...

"Now that I think about it, Do they know eachother?" And comes straight out his mouth a second later. Seeing the two of them looking at him, Hikaru caught himself and stuttered "D-Did I say that out loud? S-Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Hahaha, no sweat Hikarsy." Uzume just laughed it off, while Ryou just facepalmed at the kids awkwardness. "Actually, I'm kinda glad you asked. Ryou and I, we're-"

"HANG ON RYOU! NEPTUNE IS A COMIN'!"

"Huh!?" Both boys exclaimed as they almost instantly recognized the voice coming from behind them.

"Ugh! Reinforcements now of all times!?" Wasting no time, Uzume equipped her megaphone again and charged straight ahead to the source of the voice.

 ***CLANG***

Upon hearing the sound of steel against steel, the boys immediately turned around to see Uzume squaring off against someone. Her opponent happens to be...

"L-Lady Neptune!?"

"Nep!? Wha- What the hell is going on here!?"

 **To be continued**


	16. Welcome To The Zero Dimension

A/N - So it's time for an important question for everyone. How would you feel about moving this from a T rating to an M one. The reason for it is basically because of the dive concept and the fact that this is technically a harem so lemons are a possibility, still i don't really know how people would feel about that. Let me know your thoughts and opinions. Oh and apparently Uzume will stay OTP since people really want her to lol

* * *

"L-Lady Neptune!?"

"Nep!? What the hell is going on here!?"

The two boys stood in surprise and confusion as they witness a clash between the two girls, Neptune with her katana and Uzume with her Megaphone.

"Heh, you're not half bad! The names Uzume Tennouboshi! What's yours!?"

"N-Neptune! It's Neptune!"

"Nepth...Tch. You're name's freakin' hard to pronounce!"

"I get that a lot!"

"Really? I don't think so." Hikaru commented as Ryou simply rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Hmm...You're a lot stronger than you look. You're like the perfect prelude to 'it'!"

"Lady, I don't know what you're talking about, but I ain't gonna lose to ya. No way! Even if I am a little tired from getting sucked into that crazy vortex!"

"The feelings mutual. I'm not the type to get cozy with the enemy! If you think you can fool me by pretending to be human and attack us, you've got another thing comin'!"

"Again, don't know what ya mean, but I'm not handing over my lover-boy to you! I'm Number 1 on Gameindustri's Top 100 chart for Nicest and Hottest People Ever for a reason ya know!"

"Huh? Lover-boy? Gameindustri?"

*CLANG*

"Rrgh...! What the hell are you even talking about!?" Uzume questioned as the two of them broke out of there weapon-lock and face eachother head on.

"I've been practically asking that since the beginning." Ryou snarked.

"Now's not the time Ryou! We have to stop them before they can seriously hurt eachother!" Hikaru insisted as he ran towards the two girls.

"I'd actually prefer to let Uzume kick the crap outta Nep, but fine." Ryou reluctantly agreed as he quickly caught up.

With that, the two of them dashed forward to try and stop them as Neptune and Uzume charged towards one another once again.

"Eat this!"

"Chest Buster!"

"Wait!" The two boys yelled out...

"Stoooop!"

*CLANG*

"Huh!?" upon hearing the third voice, a beam saber suddenly appeared between the combatants weapons, stopping both attacks dead in there tracks. Looking to see who it belongs to, the two boys see that it was Nepgear who came in between them.

"Please, stop it you two!"

*CLASH*

With a flick of her wrist, Nepgear broke the three way weapon-lock and caused both Neptune and Uzume to stagger away from eachother.

"Out of the way Nep jr! I got some business to take care of with this lady here!" Not willing to listen to reason, Neptune tried to step forward, only for her sister to step right in front of her to block her path.

"Neptune, please compose yourself. There's no need to fight her like this!" Nepgear persisted.

"She's right, Lady Neptune. Please, calm down! She's not a bad person!" Hikaru supported as he ran to Nepgears side.

"Sorry folks, but anyone who beats up my Ryou is a baddy in my books. Now step aside, the Neps got some-"

*WOOSH*

"Huh?"

After hearing a woosh, Neptune turns around on her heel.

"Nep, cut that crap out already!"

*BONK*

"Ouchies!"

Only to get hit on the head and yelled at by Ryou.

"Heeeeey~! Whatcha do that for Ryou?" Neptune demanded as she rubbed her head in pain.

"Cause you were being a dumbass again, that's why!" Ryou shouted, not even hesitating to put her down this time.

"Gah! ...Not even pulling any punches. You really are mean Ryou." Neptune complained, comical tears threatening to spill.

"Huh? Wait, Ryou, do you actually know these girls?" Uzume asked as she began to walk her way towards the group.

"Unfortunately..." Ryou trailed off as he scratched the back of his head in annoyance. He swears, being associated with Neptune at this point is just begging for trouble.

"Um... You're name is Uzume, yes?" Nepgear inquired, easily getting the redheads attention as she went on. "I'm sorry for the trouble just now. We really have no intention of fighting you."

"Thank goodness." Hikaru sighed as Nepgear continued.

"In fact, I'd be really happy if you could help us. So, um... can you listen to us for a minute? We aren't going to attack you, I promise." Nepgear reassured.

"Yeah, what the nep is your problem!?" Neptune tried to pin the blame, but clearly that didn't fly by anyone.

"Hey, don't go blaming her for this Nep! You're the one who jumped her from outta nowhere!" Ryou reprimanded her.

"You were the one who struck first Lady Neptune." Hikaru added in.

"They're right Neptune! This is mainly your fault, so apologize right now!" Nepgear outright scolded her sister.

"Eh...Heheheh, my bad. I guess I was getting a little too hyped there." Seeing herself outnumbered, Neptune sighed in defeat as she apologized.

"Hyped my ass!"

"Swear."

"Whatever kid." Ryou waved off as he directed his attention back to Neptune. "You tried to stick that katana up her back!"

"I said I was sorry, geeez!...But, wait a minute..." Neptune trailed off as she gazed at Uzume. Then all of a sudden, she slammed her hands down on thin air, as if she were slamming them on a table, and then dramatically pointed a finger at Uzume as she yelled out. "How do you know him missy?"

"Huh? Well, I..." Uzume tried to answer, but Neptune interrupted her as she pointed her other finger at her...presumably for double the accusation.

"More over, what were you two doing just now in that compromising position?"

"C-C-C-Compromising position!?" Nepgear shrieked as she blushed up a storm.

"Nep, what are ya..." Ryou trailed off, both he and Uzume thinking about it as Neptune stared at them. Eventually, they put two and two together and their faces ended up blushing themselves.

However, before either of them could explain or could call her out, Hikaru piped up and said "Hmm? Compromising? What do you mean Lady Neptune? She was just sitting on his chest."

"WHA!?" Uzume shouted as her face now matched her hair color.

"KID!" Ryou yelled out in a mixture of anger and embarrassment as Hikaru recoiled in alarm and confusion.

"Aha! So you were doing something naughty to him while I wasn't around!?" Neptune accused once again.

"N-No! That's not-!" Uzume tried to plead her case, but obviously Neptune wasn't having it.

"I knew it! You were trying to steal him for yourself, weren't ya?"

"Steal him? The hell are you talking about? I haven't seen Ryou in years!"

"What do ya mean by that? Wait...*GAAASP* Are you some kinda s-s-stalker!?"

"Like you're one to talk Nep!" Ryou came in between them. "She's not a stalker, she's my childhood friend you moron!"

"...Eh?"

Hearing his annoyed proclamation, Neptune finally pipes down and stops moving all together, with Nepgear following suit as well. They both stood silently as they processed Ryous words, and Uzume stands there, just a little confused by the sudden silence.

Having an annoying case of Deja Vu, Ryou promptly rolled his eyes and plugged his ears, knowing exactly what will come next.

"Ohh, so that's how you know eachother." Hikaru broke the silence,

...And then all hell broke loose.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAATT!?"

"Ow, my ears!" Hikaru held both of his ears closed as the purple sisters screamed like a pair of banshees.

"Ugh, is this going to be a thing now?" Ryou rolled his eyes again at their utterly ridiculous reactions.

'W-Wait, what the goodness!? She's your childhood friend?"

"What are the nepping odds we'd find someone like that here!?"

"Uh, yeah, just to set the record straight..." Uzume interjected, easily catching their attention. "I really haven't seen Ryou in a long time. So when I saw him just appear outta nowhere, sorta, kinda, maybe, got a little too worked up."

"I'll say. You really beat the crap out of me back there Uzume." Ryou said.

"So, it was anger born out of worry then?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah, what you said Hikarsy." Uzume answered, but quickly turned her attention back to Ryou. "While we are on the subject, Ryou, now it's my turn to ask."

"Hmm? What's u- ack?! Hey, watch the coat!" Ryou yelled as she walked up to him, grabbed him by his coat and glared at him, clearly a little more than ticked off for some reason.

"Just how exactly do you know these two? Moreover, why did she call you her lover-boy!?" Uzume interrogated, all the while jabbing a thumb at Neptune for emphasis.

"OK, first off, just ignore that lover-boy stuff. Nep is just talking out of her ass. And second, how I know these two, well..."

"Well?"

"...Let's just say these two are my friends and leave it at that." Ryou tells her through his teeth, obviously pained to say that they are friends. Granted, Nepgear he can kind of tolerate now, but being associated with Neptune in anyway, to him, is begging for a life-long headache and disturbance, and he had to deal with the likes of Yoshiro"Master of Romance" Makoto and his so-called master Mitsuo, who he swears is obsessed with his former boss.

"WHAT!? Aw, c'mon! We haven't even gotten to our next Social Link yet and I'm already getting friend-zoned!?" Neptune cried out in childish agony.

("Well, at least being friends is better than being a nuisance...") Nepgear tried to think optimistically, but was still visibly disheartened as she poked two of her fingers together.

(...Is it really possible to be friends with the Goddesses?") Hikaru wonders to himself, surprisingly keeping it in his head this time, as Uzume loosens her grip on Ryou.

She inspects his face very closely for any sign of hesitation, to see if he was really telling the truth. Ryou looked at her with a straight-face, almost completely calm, as if he's telling her with his eyes to believe him.

"...*Deep Breath* Alright, I belief ya Ryou." Uzumes expression softens as she lets go entirely. "But still, just to be safe..." She then turns toward the purple sisters, almost apologetically and asked "...Sorry for being suspicious, but I hafta ask...you two really aren't it's underlings are you?"

"Mmm... Uzume, I'm not sure what you mean by "it", but like I said before, we aren't here to fight. We're all just looking for help." Nepgear answered.

"Yeppers! We are all the good guys here, so no need to get so serious!" Neptune chirped in, quickly perking herself up after that swift verbal beatdown Ryou indirectly gave.

"That so? *Sigh* good, that settles that. Also, sorry about earlier. It was wrong of me to attack you like that." Uzume apologized.

"Naw, you're good Uzume." ("Though I would've loved to see ya kick the crap outta Nep.") Ryou thought to himself.

"I'm just glad no one is hurt." Hikaru sighed with a hand in his chest.

"I feel the same Hikaru." Nepgear replied.

"Yeah, it's all good Uzume. I kinda jumped the gun too, so no prob. I'm just relieved that there are other people roaming around these parts!" Neptune offered her reassurance.

("Better keep an eye on her though. the Childhood Friend character is the most likely to win in these kinda situations, so I gotta keep on my toes.") Neptune thought to herself.

"Well, I'm actually the only other person here..." Uzume trailed off before shaking her head and moving onto a different subject, although Ryou took note of it as he raised an eyebrow. "Anyways, I know Ryou well enough and I know Hikarsy ain't a bad kid, but if you're not it's underlings, then who the hell are you girls? You two seem pretty strong, but..."

"Hmm... we're... how do you say... lost!" Neptune replied a bit too cheerfully.

"We just suddenly found ourselves in this city...we were looking around to see if there was anyone else, and we finally found you with our friends."

"Speakin' of, where the nep were you two?" Neptune asked the boys.

"Huh? ...Oh, right. The kid and I woke up in a dark access tunnel just down the street. We got jumped by a monster soon after, but I kicked it's ass just fine...with some help of course." Ryou answered them.

"Wait, ya got jumped!?"

"Goodness, were you two alright!?"

"Yep. It got me in the arm, but the kid managed to heal it up good with his reset button...I'll give ya the full details." Ryou answered them, with Hikaru pulling his scarf up again by the mention of his ability.

"Welp, there ya have it Uzume. That's our story." Nepgear turned her attention back to the red-head.

"So, you're all lost...? Wait, do you mean there are others who failed to escape and are surviving in other cities?" Uzume asked.

"Failed to escape? From what?"

"Surviving...?"

"Wait, hold on Uzume. I think you're gonna have to go into some detail, cause I don't think any of us are following ya." Ryou piped up after clearly seeing the confusion on the purple sisters faces. Before his childhood friend could explain however, he could see Hikaru from the corner of his eye looking straight up to the sky with his scarf now covering half his face.

"Huh? Kid? You alright over there?"

"Um, everyone..."

"Hmm? What's up there kiddo?" Neptune spoke as Hikaru pointed a finger high into the sky.

"W-What in Gameindustri is that?" The young boy asked, fear and worry now practically visible in his voice. The four of them look to where the boy is pointing.

...Only to see what looks like a giant, purple, flaming meteor heading straight for them.

"Hubawha!? I thought we cleared this dungeon! What the heck is that!?" Neptune yelled.

"...Finally. It's arrived..." Uzume muttered as the meteor came closer and closer.

Hitting terminal velocity, it broke through the sound barrier and came crashing down upon the city just a few city blocks away from the group as they all closed their eyes and braced themselves. As the dust settled, they nudged open there eyes to see just exactly what happened.

"*GASP!*"

"Oh my Goodness!"

"...Motherfu- Godda- What the hell is that!?"

Towering over each and every one of them kneeled what looks like a colossal, female titan surrounded in violet flames. It had ghostly pale skin and adorned segments of black and purple armor all over it's body exposing a good amount of skin and cleavage. It also wore a helmet of the same colors with a red visor and what looks like a power button on the forehead. It began to stand up and quickly released a shock-wave of enormous energy as two pairs of mechanical phoenix wings appeared on its back.

"Y-Yeah! W-W-W-W-W-What is that huge thing!? Is the Final Boss already here!? We didn't get blown to the very last chapter already, did we!? I haven't even gotten my M-rated love scene yet!" Neptune yelled out, just barely a step away from peeing herself.

Everyone was, understandably shocked just by it's appearance and size alone, but Uzume was looking straight at it, not showing an ounce of fear at all. In fact, she looks like as if she is staring down at an arch-nemesis.

"I don't know who or what that thing is either... But it's the one responsible for turning this city, and this entire world into a wasteland..." Uzume explained, and for a moment, her bangs covered her eyes and her fists shake in anger as she muttered "...And it was the one who took him away..."

"W-Wait. You mean it's responsible for all of this!?" Hikaru exclaimed as he stretched his arms out wide, emphasizing the completely ruined environment around them.

"Right. And it doesn't just destroy cities either; It destroys the earth and the sky as well." Uzume continued.

"Well that sure as hell explains the cracks everywhere!" Ryou yelled. Not too soon after, everyone sees Uzume stepping forward to face the giant as she cracked her knuckles.

"Uzume!? What the hell are ya doing!?" Ryou shouted, an uncharacteristically large amount of worry in his voice.

"W-Wait, you're not thinking about trying to fight that, are you!?" Nepgear asked, both scared at the looming threat, and worried about there new ally.

"That's exactly right. I've been fighting against it for a long time." Uzume calmly explained.

"Something that massive is just too much for one person! Neptune, Ryou, please tell her to back down!" Nepgear pleaded.

"Alrighty! Now I'm getting all fired up too!"

"...Huh?" Both Nepgear and Hikaru stood dumbstruck at Neptunes proclamation.

"Our Opponent's bigger than a skyscraper? That's perfect! In fact, bring it on!"

"Neptune!?"

"Lady Neptune!?"

"This is not the time to get hyped up Nep! We're actually in deep shit here!" Ryou scolded her. Personally, he'd love to fight a challenging foe, goddess knows it's been a while since Ryuko, but even he isn't so stupid to fight whatever that monstrosity is.

"Ryou, dude, we're the protags! There's no way we'll lose!"

"I appreciate the gesture Neptune, but this fight is mine and mine alone." Uzume interrupted as he brought her arm out to block Neptunes path.

"It's useless to try and stop me Uzume. I staunchly refuse to listen to people all the time. I do what I want, and I wanna help!" Neptune replied.

("Maybe that's why your such a damned-trouble maker!") Ryou snarked in his head. He wanted to yell at the two of them, but before he could speak, Hikaru ran up to them to try and stop them.

"Please be reasonable, you two! Neither of you can go in your current conditions. You'll both surely die!" Hikaru pleaded.

"He's right! If you think about it sensibly, there's no way you could win against something that enormous!" Nepgear agreed.

"Yeah, actually listen for once Nep, we need to get the hell outta here! You too Uzume!" Ryou yelled at them as he walked towards there direction.

However, as he inched closer, Uzume brought a hand out, telling him to stop where he stood.

"Uzume?"

"Sorry Ryou. I know you're worried about me, especially since we just reunited..." Uzume paused for a moment as she took a breath and looked at Ryou straight in the eye, her own filled with a powerful amount of will. "... but as a CPU, it's my sworn duty to deliver justice upon the one responsible for all of this!"

"Aww man. Why is she getting all of Ryous atte-"

*SCREECHING BRAKES*

"Huh!? Hang on a sec! Did you just way you're a CPU!?" Neptune yelled

"Uzume is a goddess!?" Both Nepgear and Hikaru said at the same time...and for some reason, they are both sporting the Nepgya face.

"Wait, what the hell!? Uzume, since when did you become a goddess!?" Ryou shouted, completely slack-jawed at the sudden revelation.

"Oh yeah, right. I guess I hadn't mention that yet. It's kinda a long story, but that doesn't really matter right now." Uzume explained, albeit vaguely, as she stopped to look at the colossus once again. "This whole city is about to become a battlefield. If none of your are ready to get your hands dirty, then run... far away."

"Hell. No."

"Wha?"

"I'm not about to let you go on this suicidal mission on your own! If we're all getting outta here, you're coming with us!"

"Ryou's right Uzume! I'm sure we can devise a strategy to defeat it that doesn't involve battling it head on so-"

"No can do. A pack of monsters like the ones we just fought are advancing along with the giant. I gotta stop 'em here, no matter what. I need to create a window for the others to escape."

"That giant looks terrible enough, but a pack of monsters too...? Also, what others...?" Nepgear asked.

"Well, then! With courage like that, I'm even more pumped to help ya out Uzume! Let's get ready to ruuumbleeee!" Neptune hollered.

"None of you are ready for a fight like this, and your just gonna hold me back. Like I said, just hurry up and get outta here already..." Uzume insisted.

"I don't wanna!" Neptune refused.

"Run away!" Uzume shouted.

"No, no, no! If I run away now, who's gonna be here to help you?! Even if you are another rival, I'm not leaving you here to die!"

"...Then I'll stay."

"Huh!?"

"R-Ryou!?"

Everyone turned to the former LOGIN agent as if he said something crazy, which he kind of did. Ryou stepped forward and drew his longsword out of it's sheath and pointed it straight ahead at both the giant and enemy hoard.

"Gear! Grab your sister and the kid and get outta here! I'll stay to help Uzume with these punks!"

"What!? But, Ryou-!?"

"No buts! Even if we can't hold our own, the least we can do is buy you guys and whoever else more time. Besides, like I said, I'm not letting her do this on her own. I refuse!"

"Ryou..." Uzume stood both awestruck and touched by both Neptune and especially Ryous valiant gestures, to the point where, unknown to her or anyone, a faint blush had adorn her cheeks.

Nepgear too was amazed at Ryous determination in this situation. It was almost the same as the week before when he fought Ryuko to save her and Uni. Even in the face of danger or certain death, once he's motivated, there's no stopping him. It made her admire him even more.

However, knowing that he is most likely doing this for Uzumes sake, which is understandable since they're childhood friends, she couldn't help but feel at least a little jealous. Although unlike Neptune, who was very visibly jealous about this, she at least had the decency to not let it show.

Now seeing as Ryou decided to fight and Neptune isn't going to listen no matter what she said, Nepgear took a deep breath...

"...O-Okay. You're right..."

"Alright. Now-"

and pulled out her beam saber.

"If you are all going to fight, then I will too!"

"That's the spirit Nep jr, I knew you'd come around!"

"What the- Gear!? I told ya too-! Ugh, you're impossible." Seeing as neither are budging an inch, Ryou rolled his eyes as he directs them to Uzume. "Well, Uzume, guess we're staying with ya, huh?"

"Uuugghhh!" What-freaking-ever!" Uzume threw her hands in air in frustration. "...Fine then. Listen, if we're all going to be fighting this thing together, the know this: we fight to win!"

"Heh, no need to tell us twice Uzume! These guys are going down!" Ryou boasted. In his head, he knows this is probably a bad idea, but he sure wasn't going to let somebody he knows get hurt, especially if it's Uzume.

"Nep yeah!" Neptune agreed.

"Then, at the very least, why don't we find a place to heal our wounds?" Nepgear suggested. "From the looks of it, the giant won't head here immediately- we have some time. It's better to challenge it when we are at our best."

"Lady Nepgear's right. We're still tired from earlier, so we should rest while we can." Hikaru agreed.

"...You're...Not wrong." Uzume was about to disagree, but found that it did sound sensible. "My base is close by, so we can head there."

"Alright then Uzume. Lead the way."

-Line Break-

After a rather lengthy walk to the edge of the city, the group managed to take shelter in Uzumes base. It was an old abandoned building that was just barely more presentable than the others they've seen so far, with broken tech and scrap over the floor and at least some of the walls have holes in them, giving them a good view of the city, and the Colossus off on the horizon.

"Well, here we are. This is my base. Although it doesn't really look like much, but it's a lot better than being out in the open."

"You got that right Uzume. Still, for a worn-down stink-hole, this place doesn't look half-bad. In fact, it's actually pretty badass." Ryou said.

"Yep-Yep! Using a dingy old place like this as a secret base is so freakin' cool!" Neptune proclaimed.

"Yeah, and you have everything you need here: A safe place to sleep, food, recovery items, and even a communication terminal! It's just like a rebel hideout from an anime!" Nepgear agreed.

"It is pretty messy in here, though at least we're all safe. It even feels kind of homey." Hikaru added in.

"What!? So you guys actually understand how wicked cool this base is!?" Uzume asked passionately.

"Duh!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Yes, of course!"

"Mhmm."

"Okay, I see it now. I knew Ryou would get it, but if the rest of you can see how cool this place is too, than you're all awesome in my books!" Uzume exclaimed before, calming down and changing to a more serious tone. "Now, we don't have much time, so I'll give you guys a quick rundown of our enemy."

"Yeah, hold that thought Uzume." Ryou called out, then directing his to Hikaru. "Alright kid, do your thing and heal us up!"

"Huh?... Oh, y-yes, of course!" Hikaru walked to the center of the group and raised his hand skyward. The girls stood there a little confused as a pale-blue rune appeared before his outstretch hand.

"Da Capo!" Calling out his spell again, the light washed over the part, and within an instant, all the wounds they sustained were gone and their cloths were mostly fixed.

"Wow! I'm like a fresh, new Nep here!"

"It's almost as if we didn't fight at all."

"Whoa, Hikarsy, how did you do that?"

"He'll give you the details later, but to keep it short and sweet, this kid is like a walking reset button." Ryou pointed it out as Hikaru dusted himself off.

"A reset button? Hmm, well that sounds like a pretty OP skill." Neptune commented.

"Anyways, you were saying Uzume?" Ryou got back on subject before Neptune could derail it.

"Right." Uzume cleared her throat as she began to explain. "Like I said before, that giant is the main culprit behind all the destruction you've seen. But it's size isn't the only thing we should be worried about. That monster also holds the power to erase all forms of life out of existence. It's the reason why all the humans who lived in this nation are no longer here with us."

"W-Wait. She doesn't mean...Oh Goddess." Hikaru gasped quietly as he pulled his scarf over his mouth.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa? They're all just...gone...?"

"I-I see... that's why our share energy was..."

"Wait, are you kidding me! How the hell does that even make sense! Did everyone just disappear because of that thing!?" Ryou shouted.

"It's kinda hard to say. I don't know much about everything that's happened myself. After the humans vanished- that's so weird to say- lots of intelligent creatures moved into the area. They're very kind, and some are even able to talk."

"Wait, you mean there are monster that can talk here?" Neptune asked.

"Now that I think about it, you mention something about "wanting the others to escape". Were you referring to them?" Nepgear inquired.

"Yeah. In fact, over half of them were already evacuated by the time you guys arrived."

"So the rest of them are still in the city?" Nepgear asked.

"Exactly. That said, our current mission is to buy enough time for the rest of them to safely evacuate the city."

"..I have a question though. Aren't any of the monsters fit to be your allies?" Neptune asked.

"No. Unfortunately, we're the only ones who can fight." Uzume replied.

"So, you've been fighting all by yourself all this time?" Ryou this time asked, the concern from earlier returning, much to the purple sisters chagrin.

"Yeah, I have." Uzume replied.

"I see..." Ryou trailed off, looking down for a moment in shame, something that didn't go unnoticed by, well, everyone present except Neptune.

"Yikes! It's amazing that you've been able to fight all by yourself like this." Neptune spoke, now both astonished and somewhat worried for her new rival.

"Yeah. Heck, I'm amazed that I'm still kicking. We're always getting chased by that thing... It feels like all we know how to do anymore is run for our lives. I have to be honest with ya, but I'm terrified when I wake up to the sounds of it's footsteps shaking the ground. What's worse is that we're running out of places to escape to..." Uzume said somberly.

"How awful... Why would anything or anyone be so determined to seek out and destroy all life like that? I don't get it." Hikaru wondered.

"Take it from me kid: there are just some things you can't understand or reason with, and that giant freak out there is definitely one of them." Ryou told the boy whilst jabbing a thumb through a nearby hole in the wall where the giant is visible.

"..." Hikaru simply sat there quietly, trailing his eyes to the floor as he contemplated the young mans words as best he could.

"Uzume, do you think there is any way to defeat it for good and lay all of this to rest?" Nepgear inquired.

"I want to know too. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, so that thing has to have some kinda weakness." Ryou said out loud, now starting to get pumped to destroy the giant that's been haunting Uzume for who knows how long.

"That's right! We can just destroy it! You won't have to keep running anymore! This will all go away if we do just that, right...?" Neptune proclaimed.

"Hey, come on guys, don't you think I've tried? I've scuffled with that thing so many times, and I've never even came close to scratching it, much less injure it."

"Aw crackers."

"Damn it!"

"No way..."

"..."

"H-Hey, don't make those faces guys. Even if it's impossible now, I've been coming up with a plan to defeat it. It's just not ready yet."

"So when do ya think it will be ready?" Ryou asked.

"Not sure, but soon. Anyways, we don't have a lot of time before-"

*Ring*Ring*

"Huh?" Uzume looked down to the communicator on her wrist and saw the name [Umio] appearing on the screen as it rang. "Give me a sec guys." She tells them as she pressed a button and speaks into it.

"Yeah, it's me. What's the status on the evacuation?"

"Uzume, I am relieved to hear your voice. We're roughly %70 complete with evacuations." The caller replied. His voice was definitely male, and sounded quite like a gentleman.

"Still a lot left, huh...?"

"I sincerely apologize. We are moving as fast as we can."

"Don't sweat it. Just make sure everyone gets outta there safely."

"Understood. Be careful out there Uzume."

*BEEP*

"Hey, who's thaaat? He sounds handsome. Is he a friend?" Neptune asked, not even bothering to save face in front of Ryou...not that he would notice.

"Yeah, he is. We caught him on a good day, though. He can get a little cranky sometimes." Uzume replied.

"Wait, he? I thought you said you were the only one here? What gives?" Ryou asked, sounding unintentionally jealous.

"Well I kinda met him a little while back. He's another intelligent monster, probably the smartest I've met."

"Oh. Alright, I guess that makes sense." Ryou breath a small sigh of relief, something that did not go unnoticed by the purple sisters.

"Alright, we'd better get going soon. Make sure you don't leave anything behind... we won't be coming back here."

"W-Wait a moment!"

"Huh?" Everyone brings there attention to Nepgear, who now looks pretty worried about something.

"Something wrong Gear?" Ryou asked.

"What about Hikaru? We can't just bring him with us to the battlefield."

At that moment, all eyes fell onto the young boy, who upon contact averts his gaze, not meeting anyone elses.

"Oh right. Forgot about the little guy here." Neptune said. "Well, we can't just ditch him here either. Uzume did say we're not gonna come back."

"Yes, but still, he's just a child."

"...I'd say we bring him with us."

"Uzume!?"

"Look, now here me out Nepgear. I've seen this kid in action, and while he doesn't look like much, he can actually hold his own pretty well in combat, especially with the magic he has packin'."

"Huh? So Hikaru's a kid mage? Looks like the twins are getting some new competition."

"B-But..."

"Hey hey, hold on, girls! Doesn't the kid himself get a say in this?" Ryou yelled.

"Huh!?" The girls stood silent from his sudden outburst. Hikaru looked to him, but made sure to hide his eyes under his hair.

"Ugh, look, Gear, I've seen this kid myself, and I can tell ya right now, he isn't helpless. Though at the same time, you're kinda right, cause at the end of the day he's still just a kid that got dragged into this against his will."

"Then..."

"Even so, I'd say it's ultimately his call whether he wants to fight with us or not."

"It's...my choice?" Hikaru muttered to himself.

"C'mon kid, I know you're not stupid, or at least smarter than Nep. Why else would I say this in the first place?" Ryou proceeded to walk to the young boy and stood before him. "Honestly though, if it were my choice, I'd probably tell you to evacuate with the other monsters, cause despite being pretty good with magic, you got a lot of problems other than the fact that your a kid."

"Hmm?"

"...You have no actual endurance, you scare to easily ("Though I can't say I don't know why"), and then there's your "No Kill Count" policy."

"No Kill Count? Wait, do you mean the little guy here is a pacifist?... and what was that about him being smarter than me!?"

"Yeah, he's not exactly a pacifist, in fact he seems perfectly fine with fighting, but it's the killing part that he has beef with...and lets face it Nep, even an 8 year old would be smarter than you."

"Ouch, Ryou. That's kinda harsh."

"...But he's not exactly wrong either."

"You girls too!?"

"Anyways..." Ryou pauses to take a breath. "Even so, I thought I'd at least give you an option instead of having us tell you what to do."

"Really...?"

"Yeah, though I'm gonna be real with you here, this isn't going to be like what happened back at the tunnel. We're not going to be fighting in self-defense with just one monster...we're going to be fighting a whole horde of them that will be trying to kill us..." Ryou then points to the giant in the city center. "...Including that giant. Meaning that we all are going to be killing a lot."

"..."

"None of us can afford to hesitate in this kind of situation, nor can we risk having any weakness, and if you end up freezing up in the middle of a battle, that's going to get you killed, or worse, getting one or the rest of us killed."

"Ryou!" Nepgear shouted, not all to happy with what he's telling the boy.

"Bottom line is, if you think you can fight with us, then by all means then go ahead, but if you're going to get scared and choke up, then you might as well not come...you'd just be in the way."

"...!"

("You're just in the way! Damned Outsider!")

Hikaru looked down to the ground as those words rang in his ears. Ryou wasn't wrong to say that. In fact, he was right. He may be gifted when it comes to magic, but he has no actual fighting experience, and holds life in too much high regard to even kill a simple dogoo.

Now however, they are all in a situation where that might not be possible, even in the slightest. Not to mention they all have to face the Giant sooner or later, which just by the sight of it scared Hikaru out of his wits. And that's not even considering what it's capable of:

...A colossal monster capable of extinguishing an entire race. The thought alone was alien to the poor boy, not to mention horrifying.

A part of him wished that this was all just a dream, and that he made it back home, back to his grandfathers cottage and went to sleep... but no. This was real. He was stuck in a world on the verge of collapse with the CPU and CPU Candidate of Planeptune, an Unknown CPU of said world, Ryou, and an enormous monster more than capable of ending there lives in an instant.

...And right now, he's given the choice of either fleeing for his life or staying with them on the battlefield.

All these thoughts were swirling in Hikarus head at once as he struggled to make a decision.

"Well, what's it gonna be kid?" Ryou asked as he folded his arms. "You're a kid, but you are both a guy and your own person, so you should speak up now while you have a chance."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone stood silent as the boy was left to his thoughts. Even Neptune, in a small instance of acting out of character, stood quiet as they all awaited his answer.

After taking a deep breath, Hikaru tears his eyes away from the floor and looks straight at Ryou...

"...I'll stay." And gave him his answer, with the same fire in his eyes as before.

"Huh!? But..." Nepgear tried to object, but Hikaru spoke up before she could continue.

"I know that you're worried about my safety Lady Nepgear, and I know why. I know that I'm just a kid, and I do in fact refuse to take a life. In fact, whenever I have the chance, I usually spare the monsters I encounter. I know that might be a problem to you all."

"Sparing monsters? Now where have I heard of that before...?" Neptune commented, but obviously no one listened.

"...But, there are still innocent lives out there. I can't just run and hide and forsake their lives just to save mine! That's not right!"

"Kid...?"

"Moreover, you're all willing to stay behind and endanger your lives to save them. You would be doing it for my sake as well if I run now...but I can't. Even if I am unimportant in all this, even if I am an...outsider, there has to be something I can do to help. So, I'm not going to run away. I want to stay."

"But, Hikaru, aren't you scared?" Nepgear finally spoke up. Even with the boy saying otherwise, the Candidate still feels uneasy about bringing an innocent bystander into battle.

"Yes, actually. In fact, after what we just saw and heard, I'm terrified. I can barely stop myself from shaking." The young boy said as he held his right arm, which was visibly shaking as he took a breath. "But even so, my grandfather always taught me that all life is precious and that I should put others before myself, so I can't just leave all those innocent monsters to die just to save myself, much less you all."

"So, in other words: You're scared outta your mind, but you still wanna stay?" Neptune asked.

"Yes." He answered with almost no hesitation. Ryou looked to the boy, his form was a little shaky, but even he could feel his resolve.

"...Heh. Good answer. In fact, I kinda respect that."

"R-Really?"

"Yep. Granted, your idealistic babble just now kinda rubbed me the wrong way, but I'm not gonna stop you if your this determined." Ryou said as he gave the boy a pat on the head.

"Yeah, I second that. Facing your fear like that takes a lotta guts, 'specially if you're a kid." Uzume agreed.

"Welp, that settles that Gear. Looks like the kid is coming with us!"

"Right on! Now we've got a full party of 5! That giant doesn't stand a chance now!"

"This should better our odds, so the more the merrier! Welcome aboard Hikarsy!"

"I don't know. I still don't think this is a good idea..."

"Aw, relax Gear. If anything happens, I'll take care of it. He is my protege after all."

"I...suppose so- wait what!?"

"Whoa! Ryous a mentor already!? Well that was fast. Nice work there, big bro!" Neptune exclaimed

"...Big bro."

"Alright. Now that that's settled, lead the way Uzume!"

"Gotcha. Follow me."

Everyone proceeded to make there way out of the base, mentally preparing themselves for the battle to come. As they walked, Nepgear slowed her pace down a bit until Hikaru was right next to her.

"Hikaru, are you really alright?"

"Yeah, a little."

"You didn't have to force yourself to come with us. We would've-"

"I understand that you're worried Lady Nepgear, in fact, I'm glad you are. But like I said, I can run and leave you all here. even if I am scared, as long as I stayed determined, I should be fine."

"...OK, I understand." Seeing as the boy was indeed set on his decision, Nepgear let out a sigh of defeat. She can only hope they all come out of this in one piece. "Oh, and also..."

"Yes?"

"Sorry if Ryou was a little rough with you just then. He can be pretty standoffish, but he's not a bad person." Nepgear reassures the boy.

"It's OK. I understand, and... I'm actually pretty used to that sort of thing."

"...Huh?" Nepgear stopped in place as everyone continued onward, his words stuck in her head.

("What does he mean, "He's used to it"?) She thought to herself. Thinking on it for a moment, Hikaru seems rather mature for his age, and going off of his speech earlier, seems wise beyond his years...even, so, what he said just now unnerved her. In fact, the way he said 'Outsider' earlier was as if he's used to being called that...as if, he were called that almost on a daily basis.

"Yo! Gear! Hurry up, or you're gonna get left behind!" Ryou called out, snapping Nepgear out of her thoughts.

"A-Ah, coming!" She breaks out on a jog to catch up with the group. She's going to have to keep this in the back of her head for now. They've got more immediate problems to take care of.

...Namely, the giant that they are going to have to face.


	17. Hello, Orange Heart

A/N - Not much to say this time around, I've been kind of depressed lately but thankfully my good friend Twilightiger has been keeping me in good spirits for this fic, thanks buddy :) Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and the newest poll is up on my profile, it's kind of important for the story so for the people interested in it so far, I suggest you take a look.

* * *

Time- ?:?/Date-?/Location: Nameless Ruins; Nearby City Square

"Alright, so what's the game plan, Uzume?" Neptune asks the all important question as the group makes there way towards their destination.

"Right, like I explained earlier, a horde of monsters will approach us before the giant does...we gotta get rid of the horde first before we do anything about the giant."

"So basically we just hold the fort here and mow down the enemies that swing by? Heh! sounds simple enough." Ryou smirked as he drew his longsword for battle.

"Yep-yep! This is gonna be as easy as pudding pie!" Neptune added in as she drew her Katana.

"Right on! I'm counting on ya, Ryou! You too Nepsy!"

"Nepsy!?" She exclaimed over the sudden nickname.

"Nepth... Nep-whatever is too hard to pronounce. So, you're Nepsy now."

"And there it is, the usual expected pattern of people I just met being unable to pronounce my name... and coming from a new love rival, that's just insulting!" Neptune sighed in defeat.

"Eh, don't let it bug ya Nep. Uzume just likes giving people nicknames, so this is kinda normal." Ryou said.

"Meh, whatev's. Besides, at least it's a totally fresh and adorable nickname, so I'm pumped!" Neptune rebounds. "Now that I think about it, that kinda explains why she's been calling Hikaru 'Hikarsy" instead."

"Yep, that's right!" Uzume confirmed as she turned her attention to Nepgear. "By the way, you'll be Gearsy."

"G-Gearsy!?"

"Well, you can't both be Nepsy, right? You'll be Gearsy."

"...Gearsy. Gearsy, huh...?" Nepgear muttered as she swayed around with a blush and a huge smile on her face. "Hehe, this might be the first time I've been given such a cute nickname... It feels really nice."

"I know right?...shoot, I did it again." Hikaru piped in before closing his mouth shut.

"Yep, welcome to the club, you two!" Neptune proclaimed.

Then suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble as they can feel the on-coming horde head their way.

"Well then, looks like the first wave is approaching. C'mon everybody. let's get fired up!" Uzume yelled as everyone prepared for battle.

"Finally. I was starting to get bored!" Ryou stepped forward to take the front line. "Alright, Nep, Gear, Uzume, and I will hold the line and fight off those creeps while the kid hangs in the back to provide support and crowd control. You don't have to kill them, just round them up and weaken them from a distance. That sound good?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeppers!"

"Yes!"

"Roger!"

"Alright everybody, it's hero ti-!"

*SQZZZ*

* * *

Emergency NepStation:

"Yello, Neptune and Nepgear here with a sudden news flash for all you fellow readers following this story!"

"We interrupt this broadcast to inform everyone that, since most of the combat scenes up to this point, while entertaining to watch, have been very long and detailed, so aside from the more important battles, the authors decided to cut some of them short so we don't end up dragging out future chapters."

"Yeah, we've been kinda laying it heavy on the action and not enough on the juicy romance! I mean this is an OC romance harem fic, not an action adventure!"

"Well, to be fair, they've been doing there best to add in a little of everything so things don't get too generic or boring. Goodness knows the Hyperdimension Neptunia section is overflowing with those in the past few years."

"Well, you do have a point there, Nepgear. I mean how many stories do ya see kid OCs in them...and how many do you see Histy getting some love!? Now that's something you don see, like, EVER!"

"I have a feeling that's going to be explained somewhere down the line. While I'm personally glad to hear Histoire found someone, even though I technically don't know this yet, for some of the readers that sort of came out of nowhere."

...Which is why EVERYBODY should also get hyped for all the steaminess to come, especially with the up-coming OVA Love Scenes!"

"L-Love Scenes!?"

"Yep! Eventually, he's going to have at least one with all of us, so you better butter your Neps, Nep jr., cause one of these days Ryou is going to pop your cute little cherry...that is if he doesn't decide to change this to an M-rating. Eh, either way, as long as I get the first one, I'm cool with it!"

"SISTER!?"

"By the way, why is Uzume getting the top spot as Ryous lover in this story? I'm suppose to be the main heroine here! Heck, my name is practically in the title of this series, so it's like, a birthright!"

Twilightiger: Neptune, grow up. Gameindustri doesn't revolve around you. Why else do you think other characters are getting spinoff?...Because some fans are starting to get sick of you.

DxD: Hey bro, why you gotta be so rude? Don't hate on the Nep. [XD]

Twilightiger: I'm just pointing out the facts, dude. Don't get your purple colored boxers in a knot. [-_-]

"A-Anyways, we're out of time. Sorry to keep you all waiting. Enjoy the rest of the chapter!"

* * *

*SQZZZ*

"Huh. Well that was pathetically easy." Ryou commented in a bored tone as he kicked a blue-scaled serpent off his broadsword and planted the sword itself into the ground.

"Yeah, I was kinda expecting a gank-spank, but these guys weren't all that bad, especially with you zipping around the battlefield like a blue hedgehog with shoes Ryou." Neptune said.

"That and the kids spells really helped round them up. Add to it his 'Da Capo or whatever', we basically won this without a scratch!... Also, where the hell didja get that from?"

"Oh, never you mind, my little soulmate~." Neptune teased as Ryou rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Well, at least we've managed to clear them out of the area." Nepgear said.

"No, we only endured the first wave. Here comes the second!" Uzume shouted as another horde of monsters head there way, with what looks like a vicious mix between an Ancient Dragon and Dog leading the pack.

"The one in the front seems a lot stronger than the others." Nepgear noted the sudden increase in the enemy forces as well as the lead monsters power.

"...Ha, you bastard, of course you would be here." Uzume said as she faced the leader.

"Huh? Uzume, do you actually know this monster?" Ryou asked.

"...Haha, know it? We've faced eachother so many times, we're practically a pair of fierce rivals!" Uzume answered, getting getting herself pumped for the battle to come. "Whenever I have the opportunity to challenge the giant, this asshole just loves to get in the way. I can't count how many times this guy has stopped me."

"So, in other words, this monster is the giants vanguard?" Hikaru asked.

"Looks like it kid." Ryou answered in Uzumes place.

"Grrrrrrr..." The monster growled at the group, Uzume specifically, as it prepares to charge.

"Hey, you mutt! This ends today! Right here... right now!" Uzume roared out as she pulled out what looked like a small, blue diamond-shaped crystal with a power-button in the middle.

"W-Wait a minute, that's-!" Hikaru yelled.

"...A Share Crystal?!" Nepgear finished as they both recognized the crystal almost immediately.

"Today, this is going to end differently, 'cause I brought a lot of friends with me, most of which who' love to see you meet your end... along with that stupid giant!"

Uzume brought the crystal in front of her and raised it high above her.

"Share Crystal! Transform!"

*FLASH*

"Wha!?"

"Ugh!"

The group covered there eyes as a pillar of light engulfed Uzumes figure. As the light died down, Uzume was no longer standing there. In her place was a girl with light orange hair looped in a loose circle resembling ribbons, as the rest of it ran loose all kept with a hair-piece that, for some reason looks a lot like Histoires, a white one-piece, skintight outfit with blue and orange accents, long white gloves with pauldrons near her shoulders, matching knee-high, high-platform boots, and what looks like a shield on her left arm and an hi-tech megaphone in her right hand.

"Transformation complete~!" The girl said in a very cutesy voice.

"What the-!" Ryou exclaimed.

"Who are youuuuu!?" Both purple sisters and Hikaru yelled.

"Aww, so rude of you all, asking who I am. It's me, Uzume. U-zu-me~." She reintroduced herself while shaking her perfectly shaped rump to each syllable. "Let's do our best together, everyone!" She turned to Ryou with a faint pink blush and an adorable smile. "Especially you, Ry-ou~." Uzume playfully winked and gave him a peace-sign before charging off into battle.

("Well...that was a blast from the past.") Ryou thought as everyone was left stunned from that sudden reveal.

"What the nep was that!?"

"Uh, yeah, I'll explain later. Lets just kick this monsters ass." Ryou quickly told them as he drew his sword out of the ground and charged from right behind Uzume.

"Ohohohoho, no! I'm not gonna let Uzume upstage me! Lets go kick some booty Nep jr.!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Hikaru, stay close to us!"

"Right!"

The other three party members moved forward as the Mega Slaymon spewed fire from its mouth straight at Uzume. Flying through it with ease, she went in for the attack.

"Dream Roar!" She charged some kind of orange energy into her feet and dropped-kicked the monster straight in it's chest, bouncing off it as she hovered above and yelled into her megaphone, sending a shock-wave straight down on top of it, dealing massive damage.

"Alright, now it's my turn!" Seeing an opening after Uzumes attack, Ryou charged forward with his broadsword upraised, energy coursing through him as he skid to a stop right in front of it and swung with all his might as he called out "Lightning-!"

*PFFFT*

"Huh?"

Only for that energy to conveniently vanish into thin air, leaving the monster an ample amount of time to catch his sword in its mouth. In a confused daze, he trailed his sight to the monster, who just gazed back maliciously as it raised one of its paws to smite him.

"Oh-!"

*SMACK*

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Ryou flew straight past the party and crashed into nearby rubble.

"Ryou!" Everyone called out to him as he crashed.

"Y-You...!" Uzumes grip on her Megaphone tightened as she saw Ryou get sent flying. She turned her gaze at the monster, who looked absolutely furious as she glared daggers at it. "You hurt Ryou! Now, Uzume will never forgive you!" She charged back into battle with gusto.

"Nobody hurts my hunny-bunny and gets away with it! Now, prepare to get Nepped!" Neptune followed suit, legitimately angry herself.

Meanwhile Nepgear, who was a little mad herself, turned to Hikaru and told him "Hikaru, go to Ryou and heal his injuries. We'll handle this! Now go!"

"Right away, Lady Nepgear!" Following his instructions and worried for Ryous well-being, the boy turned back and ran straight to Ryous location as Nepgear joined the fray.

"Ugh...now that was smarts." Ryou groaned as he got up from the rubble while being mildly injured, with Hikaru skidding to a stop and kneeled down to his side.

"Ryou, are you alright?"

"Yeah. Busted my ass on the landing though." Ryou rubbed his sore spot and Hikaru used Da Capo to quickly reverse the damage taken.

Looking towards the battlefield, Ryou sees that the girls were doing alright with the monster. In fact, they seem to be beating the living hell out of it as they circle around it in a triangle formation. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to get back into battle, Ryou quickly got, up grabbed his sword, and-

"Tri-Burst!"

*BOOM*

"GRAAAAAAAHH!"

...Stand there as the girls fired off an explosion...somehow, and finished off the monster before he could use accelerate.

"Aw crap. Well that's a buzz-kill." Ryou muttered, disappointed that he didn't get to even land a hit this time around, much less kill the monster himself.

"Well, at least it's over...and look, all the other monsters are going away." Hikaru pointed out as the second wave behind the Dragon/Dog Hybrid began to retreat after seeing their leaders swift defeat.

("...Ahh, now that's just disappointing. They could've at least put up a fight before running with their tails between there legs. Man, what a gip.") Ryou sighed as he shook his head in dismay at the retreating monsters. Though as he did, he quickly recalled what happened just now and looked down to his sword.

("Though I wonder just what happened back there? I pulled it off just fine a while ago, so then, why...?") Ryou thought to himself as he ponders why he couldn't use the "Lightning Chain" he obtained from his Dive into Noire. He tried to recall how the attack goes, but sifting through his memories, he couldn't even remember how the skill even worked. It was as if the knowledge of the skill itself just vanished from his mind.

It seems even when they are in a completely different dimension, he really can't shake this whole 'Dive' thing off.

"Ryou!"

"Huh? Uzume?" Upon hearing Uzumes voice, he looks up to see her...

"Ryyoooooou! Waahaaaaa!"

*CRASH*

"Guaaaaa!"

Only for her to literally come flying towards him in tears and crash into him, sending him back to the ground as she gives him a bear hug.

"Ryou! Ryou! Are you OK? Uzume was, like, super-duper worried about you when doggie hit you! Are you hurt? You're not bleeding buckets are you?"

"Ack, Uzume, I'm alright! Ya don't need to get so worked up! Anyways, can you...urg, let go already? You're crushin' my ribs here!"

"No! Uzume is not letting you go! She really missed you, you know!" Uzume brought her face up to his and began rubbing her cheek against his. " You're never, ever, ever going away again! Uzume won't allow it!"

"Ugh, I said let go already!?" Ryou struggled, but Uzume has him in a tight lock.

("Man. Energetic, bubbly, and overly-affectionate...Yep, this is definitely Uzume alright.") Ryou thought to himself as she continued to cuddle him.

"Heeeeey! Hold it right there, missy!"

"Aw, crap no." Ryou muttered, dreading what will happen next as soon as Neptunes voice came to his ears.

"What do ya think you're doing getting all cozy with Ryou after a battle! I'm the main heroine, so only I get to cuddle with him!"

Neptune walked up to them and latched herself onto his open arm and followed suit.

"Hey Nepsy, that's not fair!"

"All is fair in love and war, and I'm a stubborn one! I don't care if you're his childhood friend, I'm not gonna lose!"

"Go away!"

"Nope! You move it!"

"Would the both of you get off me!?"

"NO!" They both cuddled him harder and harder, making it more difficult for Ryou to breath, much less any elbow room to escape. Off to the sidelines, Nepgear looked both disheartened and a little jealous at the display, while Hikaru just looked, understandably confused at it, complete with question marks over his head.

"Hey! Gear, Kid, a little help would be nice!"

"Huh? ...Oh, right!" They both said, somehow at the same time.

"Hikaru, you grab Uzume, I'll get Neptune!"

"Yes, Lady Nepgear!"

They both immediately got to work as they ran up to each side, grabbed a hold of there respective girls and used every ounce of strength to pry them off Ryou.

"Gearsy! Hikarsy! What are you guys doing!?"

"Yeah, what's the big idea!"

"Let him go, you two! You're both crushing him!" Nepgear tried to reason with them.

"And he can barely breath, too!" Hikaru added in.

Eventually, they were able to successfully pry the two of them off him, allowing Ryou to breath once more.

"Haa...Haa...Haa... finally. I thought's they'd never let go." Ryou said between breaths.

"Do you need anything, Ryou?" Hikaru asked.

"Haa... naw, I'm cool. Haa...Haa... just gotta catch my breath from that death hug just now."

"Now just try and settle down you two. We're already starting to get tired, so no more fighting amongst ourselves...especially when you two have Ryou caught in the middle!" Nepgear scolded Neptune and Uzume.

"OK." They both said dejectedly, but turned there gazes to eachother and glared at the other with sparks going off between them.

"Alright, so, that aside, that takes care of the monsters." Ryou said, still a little disappointed with what he got.

"Yep! I even finally won against doggie..!" Uzume proclaimed, forgetting about Neptune for a moment.

"D-Doggie...?" Nepgear sweat-dropped at the cute name she gave to the monster they just defeated.

"But it's totally because of you two that Uzume was able to defeat it. Thanks so much, Nepsy and Gearsy!"

"Aw shucks, no need to thank us, we're friends now! I'd go to bat for ya any day of the week!" Neptune pulled a complete 180 on her attitude as she assured her. "...Though if anything revolves around Ryou, then we're gonna have a talk."

"Don't start Nep!" Ryou warned, as of this moment, having visibly no patience.

"She's right! We're friends now!" Nepgear agreed.

"...Friends." Hikaru muttered under his breath.

"So, um...what's your name, CPU Uzume?" Nepgear asked the all important question.

"Oh, it's Orange Heart! Nice to meetcha everybody!" Orange Heart officially introduces herself.

"Wow, I knew orange was your favorite color, but this is a little much." Ryou said. "Anyways, I'm pretty surprised by that transformation of yours."

"Yep, even I was surprised by it! I thought you'd get even more aggressive in HDD form, but you're completely the opposite! I can't get over it, it's so crazy and cute at the same time!" Neptune added.

"So, this is Hard Drive Divinity... a Goddess' true form." Hikaru said as he examined Orange Heart from top to bottom. "I heard stories from grandfather, but I never thought it would be like this. She not only looks different, but her personality changed as well, as if she turned into a completely different person."

"Well, that does tends to happen when CPUs transform into their HDD forms. Although the changes vary from each of us." Nepgear explained for the young village boy.

"Do you change whenever you transform, Lady Nepgear?" Hikaru asked.

"Well... I'm more or less consistent in looks and personality, but I'm told I'm a lot more confident in HDD."

"Oh, that's good. I was worried you'd change to a mean person when you transform."

"Y-Yeah, thank goodness for that." She said nervously, slightly shuddering as the image of a certain buxom, sadomasochistic dominatrix briefly flashed in her mind.

"...Huh? Hey, why does everyone know about CPUs...?" Orange Heart wondered.

"Huh? ...Oh, right. there was so much goin' on, we forgot to tell ya." Ryou explained as he gestured to the purple sisters. "Uzume, believe it or not, Nep and Gear over here are both CPUs, just like you."

"Specifically; Lady Neptune is Lady Purple Heart, and Lady Nepgear is Lady Purple Sister." Hikaru elaborated.

"Thanks for that, kid." Ryou replied sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Hikaru replied back, utterly blind to it.

"...What!? Like, for real!? Don't play with me, Ryou...!" Orange Heart exclaimed, shocked at the revelation.

"Nope, they speak the truth! Cross my heart!" Neptune piped in as she posed right in front of Orange Heart. " I am Purple Heart, the Patron CPU of Planeptune, able to leap Giant Dogoos in a single bound- I can even calm crying children!" She boasted.

("Doubtful...") Ryou rolled his eyes.

"...Except... I kinda have no shares here, so it's not like I could transform and show you..." Neptune muttered with a sweat-drop.

("Wait, what? What's she talking about?") Ryou thought to himself. He wanted to ask, but Orange Heart cut him off.

"...So, you're a CPU too, Gearsy?" Orange Heart asked.

"Yes, I am... although, technically, I'm a CPU Candidate." Nepgear answered.

"Oh, wow! So this explains why Hikarsy has been calling you girls Ladies all this time. This is crazy! Never in a million years would I have imagined I'd run into CPUs in a desolated place like this. So cool!" Orange Heart cheered as she jumped up and down in place, causing her C-Cup boobs to jiggle, much to Ryous hidden embarrassment.

"Oh, believe me, we're all just as surprised. But I'm sure this is fate!" Neptune said.

"You're totally right!" Uzume agreed. All of a sudden, a flash of light enveloped her as she transformed back into Uzume.

"...Tch. Ran out of time." Uzume muttered as she scratched her head. "Man, and I did something really embarrassing too." She said under her breath, recalling the 'cuddling' she gave Ryou moments ago.

"Ran out of time...? Oh, right, it looked like you were using a Share Crystal to transform." Nepgear pointed out.

("So that was a legit Share Crystal, huh?") Ryou thought to himself, never actually seeing a Share Crystal before. The closest thing he ever got was seeing the Manufactured Share Crystals he peaks at everytime he was forced to go to Kujos lab for a 'check up'.

...if you can call getting a lot of shots and dumped into a battle simulation a check up.

"Grrrrrrrr..."

"Huh?" Hearing a low growling noise, Hikaru turns on his heels to see that the monster from before was getting back up, looking a lot more pissed off than hurt. "Everyone, look!"

"What the goodness!? It's still alive!?" Nepgear proclaimed as everyone turned to face the monster once again.

"Tch. Looks like we got a stubborn one on our hands, hehe." Ryou said as he cracked a smile, aching to get some payback from that cheap-shot earlier.

"Damnit... you're a resilient bastard, aren't you? Do you want another beating, you mangy mutt!?" Uzume threatened.

"Shoot, anymore and this is gonna be tough, even for me..." Neptune said, now showing visible signs of fatigue. While Hikarus spell has been keeping everyone from getting any wounds, the same couldn't be said about their stamina, especially since the girls kind of overdid it with the previous fight. "...But if it still wants a fight, then we'll keep going 'till the very end!"

"Took the words right outta my mouth Nep!" Ryou agreed as he drew his sword again to face the creature. "Hey! Ready for round two, ya- huh?" Though as he prepares for a brawl, the monster turned around and made a quick escape before he realized. "What the- Hey! Get your ass back here!"

"...It...Ran away?" Uzume said, very surprised at the sudden turn of events.

"Ha! It's running away because of my intimidating strength. Yeah, keep on walkin', tough guy!" Neptune mocked.

"Neptune, I think it's just leaving because of its heavy lacerations... it's just hurt..." Nepgear pointed out.

"Lady Nepgear's right. It may be too injured to fight anymore." Hikaru said.

"Ugh, seriously, what the hell's a guy gotta do to get a decent challenge around here!" Ryou complained. He'd practically fight anything right now just to relieve himself...well, anything that's not a sky-scrapper tall giant.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly satisfied with it either, Ryou, but now I can at least take on the giant." Uzume said.

"Huh!?"

"W-Wait a sec, Uzume! How can you be thinking of fighting that thing with how we are now!? None of us may be injured, but we're all pooped, you especially!" Neptune exclaimed.

"What's the matter, Nepsy? What happened to 'We'll keep fighting until the very end?'"

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with Nep on this one." Ryou stepped in.

"Ugh, not you too, Ryou!"

"Look, hear me out! You just spent yourself on that last monster, and you 'just' came out of HDD. If you take that thing on now, you're gonna get wiped out before you get the chance to actually hit it."

"Um, everyone..." Hikaru piped up.

"Urg, kid, what is it!?" Ryou barked out, clearly not in the mood right now.

"...I think the giant is looking right at us now..."

"Huh?" Everyone turned there heads to the giant, who was now just a few short steps (how far can giant footsteps go?) away from them, and it is looking down at them, menacingly.

"...Ohh shit." Ryou uttered as the giant gathered an enormous amount of black and purple energy and fired it off in an energy beam, straight at the parties current position.

"Incomiiiing...!"

"Rgh!?"

"Hit the deck!"

*BOOM*

Everyone dived out of the way of the attack, just barely missing them as it continued to fire past them.

"...!" The giant let out an inhuman groan as it finished it's attack.

"...Tch! A surprise attack. How cowardly...!" Uzume yelled as everyone got back up. "Then let's return the favor five-times over, guys! It's our turn to debut!" Uzume proudly said as she stepped forward.

"...Ouch!" Only to her to get on one knee in pain.

"Uzume!" Without any hesitation, Ryou zipped right up to her and checked her status. "You alright!? Did ya get hurt from that attack just now...?"

"You kidding!? It'll take more than that to take me down!" Uzume tried to shrug it off, but even Ryou knew she was just blowing smoke. "Let's just focus on how can we kill this thing."

"Bullcrap! You're tired and injured, I don't think you can take it on right now, much less on your own!" Ryou chided her. "Besides, weren't we suppose to hold the line so all those monsters can get outta here!?"

"Oh, crap, you're right!" Uzume shouted, so lost in trying to find a way to kill the giant that's been haunting her, for a moment, she forgot what they were here for in the first place. "Did everyone get out okay...!?" She reached for her communicator, punched in some sort of code and spoke into it as it sprung to life.

"It's me! What's your status? Has everyone been evacuated?"

"Uzume. We just finished evacuating. We're all in the next town over." The gentlemanly voice from early spoke, and Ryous eye twitched just by hearing it, while Uzume breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good...we just made it..."

"Yes, they're safe now thanks to you, Uzume."

"Well, she didn't exactly do it all alone." Ryou pointed out under his breath.

"Hmm? Uzume, is there someone with you?" the voice on the other end said, clearly hearing Ryou from the other side.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell ya, but I managed to find some help. I'll fill you in on the details later, but now that everyone is safe, I can fight without reservation. Thanks for the update." Uzume turned off her communicator after saying her piece and got up to face the group."Seems like everyone was able to escape safely. It's all because of you all...thanks."

"Phew. At least they are all safe and sound. " Hikaru said.

"Of course, but don't you think it's time we escaped, as well!?" Nepgear advised.

"Escape!? I've been waiting so long for another chance at this giant, and you just want to waste it!?"

"Better that, than getting yourself killed when you're in no condition to fight!" Ryou rebuked.

"...!" Another groan came from the giant as it prepared another attack from afar...and it was solely targeting Uzume this time.

"Here comes another one!" Neptune warned.

"Watch out!"

"!?"

*BOOOM*

Ryou ran up to Uzume, grab a hold of her and forced her out of the way of the attack, as the others did the same.

"Whew, just dodged it by the skin of our hairs!" Neptune said nervously.

"Ryou, Uzume! Are you both alright!?" Nepgear called out to the two childhood friends.

"Yeah, we're alright Gear! Got outta that with our skins intact at least." Ryou replied.

"Yeah, thanks for the save, Ryou... also, can you get off me?"

"Hmm?" Ryou looked down at Uzume...only to see that he was suggestively sitting right on top of her, with Uzumes face taking on a healthy shade of red for good measure.

"Oh...Ooooooooh!" Wising up surprisingly quick, Ryou got off of Uzume and helped her back up.

"Ya know, if we weren't in a life or death situation, I'd totally make a scene outta that!" Neptune yelled, all the while both she and Nepgear look more than a little jealous at the display. "While I'm at it; dang it, Uzume! You really think it's a good idea to fight this thing when we're all beat up?"

"Of course I do. Besides, just have Hikarsy use his spell on us and we should be ready to brawl!"

"Oh, yeah, right..." Neptune turned to Hikaru, who just looked up to the giant in fear. "Hikarsy, use Da Capo, and quick!"

"H-Huh!? Oh, OK!" Hikaru raised his hand into the air as the glyph enveloped him and the party as he got ready to use his signature spell...

"Da Ca-!"

*PFFT!*

"Huh?"

Only for the glyph to completely disappear with a farting noise(?)and leaving everyone in their current conditions.

"... Uh-Oh."

"Uh-Oh? Why uh-oh!?"

"Lady Neptune, everyone...I think I just ran out of mana." Hikaru said plainly, dread and fear now all over his features.

"Oh, C'mon! this is literally the worst time for our major healer to be running dry!" Neptune cried out.

"Aw crap, there goes that idea then. Ugh, this is starting to become a nightmare." Ryou complained.

"Welp, looks like were gonna have to make due then." Uzume said as she picked up her megaphone again and faced the giants direction.

"No, Uzume! It's too risky! Let's get out of here while we still can!" Nepgear insisted.

"She's right, Uzume! We can't go on like this!" Hikaru added in, looking to the giant in front of him. "With that much destructive power, none of us stand a chance."

"Yeah, listen to them! We aren't in any condition to fight this thing, so lets just-!"

"All of you, shut the hell up!"

"Eeek!?

"Whoa!?"

Everyone flinched in place as Uzume screamed at them. Even Ryou recoiled at her outburst, specially since he was the closest one to her.

"I haven't had a shot at this in so damn long, and I don't expect you guys to get it, but I'm gonna fight. If you guys wanna leave, then just go." Uzume said somberly as she walked forward.

*Yank*

"Huh?"

All of a sudden, she felt something grasp onto her shoulder and held her in place in a strong grip. She turned her head to see Ryou grabbing onto her, looking at her straight in the eyes, with a serious look.

"Huh? Ryou?"

"Yeah, screw that! We aren't going anywhere without you! And I'm sure as hell not gonna let you take that thing on by yourself!" Ryou barked at her, not even letting up his grip for a moment.

"Ryou's right! There's no way you can hold your own with that thing when you're so beat up..." Nepgear concurred.

"No. I can do this. I'm gonna fight, even if the flesh is falling off my bones..." Uzume persisted.

"Ugh, damnit! Quit being so stubborn!"

"Besides, I won't lose in a fight, even if I die! Even if I have to go down with it, I'll..."

"Hiyaaah!"

*CHOP!*

"Ouch!"

"Nep?"

Uzume rubbed her scalp in pain as Neptune gave her a karate chop to the head, causing Ryou to let go of Uzumes shoulder momentarily.

"What the hell're ya doing, Nepsy!?"

"You can't do it alone, Uzume. Drop the tough girl act and live to fight another day! You know what they say; Where there is life, there's rope!"

"...R...rope...?"

"I think you mean "Where there is life, there is hope" Lady Neptune."

"Yeah, that's what I meant!" Neptune said as she continued. "All the good little monsters were able to escape, isn't that good enough for now? You don't need to push yourself pal, especially when even Ryou here is 'this' concerned for you...even if it does kinda rustle my jimmies."

"Nep..." Ryou stood quite surprised at Neptune actions just now. First there was her wanting to stay with Uzume so she didn't have to fight alone, and now this. He was beginning to think that there was more to this purple idiot than she really leads on.

Then he began to recall the time in the forest after he dropped off Noire. Granted, she was mostly in her goddess form at the time, but he still remembers the events of that evening clearly:

Following him around just to get her mind off of things(which was kinda creepy), exposing some very well-kept emotions to him, and they even kind of played around with eachother a little. Heck, just a little while ago, Neptune was practically all over Uzume with her katana for reasons he doesn't exactly understand, and now she's actually being somewhat sensible and trying to help his childhood friend.

It just goes to show that there's more to the purple air-head than meets the eye.

("If only she weren't a royal idiot most of the time, I'd start giving her the time of day...") Ryou thought to himself as he turned his gaze to the giant.

...all the while not even noticing Neptune grabbing onto Uzume like a vice-grip.

"Anyway, that's how it's gonna be."

"Huh!? Hey, what are ya-!"

"Nepgear, Hikaru, gimme a hand here."

"Okay!"

"OK!"

"Woah, hey! Lemme go, you jerks! You can't just pick me up like this! Put me down!" the three of them grabbed onto Uzume (and in Hikarus case, tried to) and held her above there heads as Ryou continued to stare down the giant from afar.

He hates to admit it, but looking at it now, Hikaru was right. After seeing what those last two attacks did, as well as practically feeling the power coming from them, he doesn't think they have a chance in hell to fight it, even if Neptune, Nepgear and Uzume transformed all at once. Not only that, but seeing as it now has its sights on them, he doesn't think it's going to let them go that easily.

And so...

"Huh? Ryou, what are you doing?" Neptune turned her head to Ryou, only to see him drawing his longsword out of its sheath.

"...You all go on ahead. I'm staying."

"Whaaaaat!?" Everyone stood shocked the instant those words hit their ears.

Did they really just hear that right? What the heck is Ryou thinking to do staying behind with that thing right behind them.

"Ryou, what the hell are ya saying!?" Uzume yelled, a mixture of anger and worry clear as day in her tone.

"Y-You're not going to fight that thing yourself, are you?" Nepgear asked. Everyone(mostly) knows how Ryou can get, and they he's a bit of a daredevil, but this is just insane.

"Hell no! I'm going to get this things attention while the rest of you get outta here. Once you do, I'll get out of its sights and bail myself." Ryou explained.

"That's even worse! How are ya going to distract it! You'll get blown to smithereens!"

"Hehehe..."

"Huh?" Everyone looked to him as he chuckled, both confused and somewhat scared. Then, Ryou turned his head to all of them, a wide smirk spreading all over his features.

"...Just who the hell do ya think I am, Neptune!" Ryou boasted (and in Neptunes head, channeled his inner Kamina) as he jabbed a thumb at himself. "I'm Ryou Ayumu, The Fastest NPC Alive and soon-to-be Hero! This thing is gonna have dead-eye aim to catch me, and even if it did, I wouldn't die even if I was killed! Screw what any red-headed hero wannabe out there says, 'cause true heroes never die!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The purple sisters and Hikaru stood amazed at Ryous sudden burst of bravado, proving once again that despite his rude and snarky demeanor, he truly is a good person. Although, some of the more intelligent members of the group (I.E. Nepgear and Hikaru) were able to tell that he's bluffing, just acting tough and badass to keep their spirits up.

Uzume on the other hand, was just left stunned, not just at the display, but at the same time, a huge wave of nostalgia hit her at full force. He looked a lot different then he was back then, but she knew in her heart that it was in fact Ryou.

...Which just made her all the more self-conscious about things, as worry began crawling up her spine.

"Well, what are y'all waiting for!? Go now, while you still have a chance!" Ryou yelled out as he walked towards the giant.

"Huh!? Wait what-!?" Uzume suddenly snapped out of her stupor...

"Welp, you heard the man, guys! Let's blow this pineapple stand!"

"R-Right! Come back to us alive, Ryou!"

"Be careful!"

They each proclaimed as they got a good grip on Uzume, not even giving her a chance to speak to him as they all ran on out of the city.

"What the- Hey, wait! Put me down now! You're really going to leave him behind!?" Now panicking, Uzume tried to worm her way out, but their hold on her was too tight as she continued to struggle.

"No! Wait, stop! Ryou! RYOOOOOOUU!" She screamed out his name as they all make their escape.

While they could not see it from where they were going, Ryou visibly flinched at Uzumes scream. In any other circumstance, he's probably use his Acceleration and get everyone out of here himself, but sadly this isn't the case.

If he were to do that now, the giant would easily see them running and probably hunt them all down, no matter how fast or far they run. He needed to buy them time to get out of its sights, and when they do, he'll do the same.

Even with that in mind, he can't helped but feel unnerved by this whole situation.

Here he is now, in a completely foreign world, about to play a lethal game of tag with a skyscraper tall giant who can kill him just as easily he can kill your average dogoo. He had never felt so small in his life. Now he probably knows how those 'Recon Scouts' felt like whenever they go out on a mission in that popular dark fantasy manga...except this giant is seemingly clothed in some kind of armor, while the giants in those are practically nude.

Regardless, he had to stand his ground, no matter what. If the hero runs and hides, who will stay and fight? Certainly not a pair of goddesses that can't transform (for reasons he doesn't quite understand yet) or a something-year old village mage who seems waaaaaaay too smart for his age.

...And especially not the long-lost friend, who at one point, he thought was dead.

Granted, it was blatantly obvious Uzume changed a lot over the years, and as a result, became pretty badass in his eyes, but he was not about to let her get killed after they had just met again after all this time.

As soon as Ryou was sure they were a good distance away, he looked up to the gigantic adversary. It's gargantuan size alone was enough to send shivers down his spine, and knowing it definitely has the power to back it up, he's ashamed to admit it, but it actually has him kind of scared. Even so...

"Hehe, looking at it now, it suddenly doesn't look so tough." Despite his fear, he can't help but feel excited facing this thing.

Maybe it's because everyone is out of the area so he can go on without reserve. Maybe it's because this may be his first real challenge ever since Ryuko, and especially a good way to bounce back after that whole mess with LOGIN. Or maybe it's because the crazy-idiot in him is urging him to fight it.

Regardless, he's made his decision, so there's no going back.

Sheathing his sword back into it's broadsword/sheath, Ryou stretched his legs and did a few squats before getting into position to run for the nearest rooftop.

The plan is simple: get the giants attention, then run around the city and dodge its attacks until he knows everyone's escaped. Once that's done, he'll get out of the giants sight and rendezvous with them when it isn't looking for him.

"Eh, might as well do some damage while I'm at it..." Ryou popped his neck and took a deep breath with a smirk. "Acceleration!"

*ZOOOOOOOOOM*

Hitting high-speeds in a second flat, he quickly comes close to the giant and makes a hard turn right, into a nearby building and began to run straight up the walls. Quickly making it to the rooftop, he jumps onto the ledge and nailed the landing without a single injury. Drawing his sword again, he takes a stance as he yells out to the giant:

"Hey, Bitch-Zilla! Down here!" The giant turned it's head and looked down to Ryou. "Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! Are we gonna go, or is that size of yours just for show?" He taunted the giant.

Looking to him, then turning its head to the retreating group a ways away, it looked like the giant contemplated which to go after. With a wayward glance to the group, it began to slowly walk towards Ryou, and as it got close, it bent down in its knees and brought its face up close and personal to the former LOGIN agent. Both he and the monster simply stared at eachother, with Ryou smiling confidently while the giant kept its completely deadpan expression.

("Jeez, will it kill it to crack a smile once in a...wait a minute.") Ryou thought to himself as he actually got a better look at the monster before him. ("...What the hell? It looks like...a CPU?")

"...!"

Before he could contemplate on that thought, the giant stood back up and roared once again as it charged energy into its body, a clear sign of it getting ready to crush him.

"Heh! Alright let's get this show on the road!"


	18. Attack On Dark Goddess

A/N- Super late. Sorry, my gf has been sucking the life outta me (giggity) and twilights been working a lot I think lol So heres a super late chapter. Side not: NOBODY has permission to take our ideas. Be more original or copy someone else. Our chapters take a lot of effort and heart, if your willing to try and take those ideas for yourself then your just a first class scumbag. Regardless though we will always be the best Neptunia fic here, it's not an ego at this point I say it's fact :) See ya the next time.

A few years ago...

*SLASH**CLANG*

"Grooar!"

Within the nighttime streets of Lastation, a piercing mechanical roar echoed throughout the nation. Within the city center stood two figures. The first is an enormous mechanical beast known as the Killachine. A weapon created by Avenir, a major company within Lastation that plotted to overthrow Black Heart during the latter stages of the Console War, but were subsequently rooted out and destroyed before they could cause any lasting damage.

The other figure was that of a teenaged boy, wearing a steel helmet that covered his whole head, a dark-blue sleeveless turtle-neck sweater and matching baggy pants with a black vest and a leather belt with the logo 'LOGIN' on the buckle, brown leather combat boots, and black gloves, wielding a standard longsword against the mechanized menace.

"Alright, time to end this!"

The teen twirled his sword around like a baton for a bit before leaping high into the air above the Killachine, ready to land the killing blow. The Killachine took it's two-handed mace and brought it to its face in an attempt to block the attack.

"Sorry pal, but this is it for you! Grrraaaaaa!"

He somersaulted in mid-air before he came crashing down on the Killachine with all his might, destroying it's weapon and splitting the mechanical monster in two in one fell-swoop.

He landed safely on his feet, squatted down and jumped back away from the Killachine to a safe distance as both halves of the bisected machine fall to the ground and explode on impact. The teen took a good look at all that remained of his opponent and smirked under his helmet, very much proud of his own handy-work as he sheathed his blade.

"Heh, too easy. At this rate, I'm gonna be a bonafied hero in no ti-!"

*SWISH*

"Geh!" The teen froze in place and had his hands in the air as he felt sharp, cold steel right at his neck from behind.

"Showing your back to the enemy is suicide in battle... that overconfidence of yours will destroy you." A chilling voice rang in his ears as a dark presence made itself known to the teen. Breathing a hefty sigh, he slowly turned around to face the unknown threat as the blade at his neck moved along with him, now pointed at his chest.

"...Huh!? What the- Mitsuo!?" Now getting a good look at the assailant, he almost immediately recognized the man now before him. He looks like he is in his early 20's with a very lean and skinny body, clean-cut silver hair and matching eyes and very pale skin. He is wearing what looks like modern samurai armor with a white and purple vest over the chest plate, and is wielding a 5-foot long nodachi with two guards, the weapon itself in his right hand, and the scabbard clutched in his left. "W-What is this!?"

"...Hmph."

Before he could blink, Mitsuo twisted his blade around to strike the teenager down.

*CLASH*

However, the boy managed to quickly draw his blade out and block the in-coming attack.

"Haa!"

*CLASH**CLASH**CLANG**CLASH**CLANG*

"Tch!"

Mitsuo followed up with graceful, lightning-fast slashes primarily aimed at the teens vitals, with the teenager himself just barely able to parry and block them in time, with the last strike leaving them in a dead-lock. The teen just barely held his ground with both hands gripping his sword, while Mitsuo effortlessly held him down with only one hand on his own blade, showing that despite his slender frame, he is much stronger than the boy.

"Damn it, you're not the only hero!"

"It's over, Ayumu."

The teenager struggled with all his might, getting the nodachi further away from his body as he evened the odds.

"Rrraaaaaaa!"

With one mighty push, the teen broke the weapon-lock between them, and wasted no time as he swung down on his staggered opponent.

"...Not good enough!"

*CLASH**BREAK!*

"Aaaah!"

However, Mitsuo wasn't even phased as he sheathed his sword and performed a lightning-fast quick-draw, not only splitting both the teenagers sword and helmet in two, but also sent him flying off the ground with such ease, his now broken sword sliding far out of his reach as he landed hard on his back.

As the teen, revealed to have black-spiky hair, tried to get back up, Mitsuo calmly sheathed his nodachi and walked towards him. As he opened his eyes, he sees Mitsuo standing right on top of him, his fiery red eyes meeting Mitsuos cold, silver ones.

Before he had time to think. Mitsuo jabbed the scabbard of his sword right beside the teens neck and slowly unsheathed his nodachi, preparing to decapitate the boy in one swift slash.

"...Crap." Is the only thing he could muttered at the situation he was in as Mitsuos sword was upraised and seconds from coming down like a guillotine. The teen shut his eyes closed and braced himself as he waited for the inevitable.

He waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited...

Yet nothing happened.

The teen slowly opened one to see what had happened, only to see that Mitsuos sword was stopped dead in its tracks, practically a centimeter from his neck, by his own broken sword, right above his head.

"Huh...?" Trailing his eyes down his sword, he sees a dirty-blonde haired man in his early 20's wearing the same uniform as him, only it was a beige color instead of dark blue, and had a claymore strapped to his back. The man looked down to the teen with his emerald eyes, and then looked to Mitsuo. Soon enough, the lanky Iaijutsu-master lifted both his scabbard and his sword away from the teens neck and sheathed it as he stepped away.

"Ugh...thanks Yamato." The teen greeted his mentor. Yamato himself got up on his feet and looked to the boy before directing his gaze back to Mitsuo, who simply stood still as a statue. With a tired sigh, Yamato brought out his clam-shell phone and flipped through it until a screen prompt popped up asking [ABORT SIMULATION? YES/NO].

Pressing yes and closing the phone shut, the area around them began to disintegrate into code as Yamato walked right past Mitsuo, who as it turned out, was also breaking down into code.

(BGM playing: Dreams and Pride- From Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7)

"Training's over, Ryou." Yamato said as the last of the area vanish, leaving just the two of them in a small, square room dimly lite with neon-blue lights around the edges of the floor.

"W-What! Why!?" Ryou shouted as he quickly got back up. "C'mon Teach, I was just getting warmed up!"

"Says the newbie who nearly got killed in a simulation." Yamato retorted as he presented his pupil with his half-broken sword. "You're lucky that wasn't the real Mitsuo, otherwise you would've lost more than just your head."

"Tch, whatever." Ryou snatched his sword away from his mentors grasp. "I coulda beat him, no problem. He just caught me off-guard."

"Kind of proving his point there, don't you think?"

"Oh shut it!" Ryou barked back. "Seriously though, what kind of sadistic retard thought it was a good idea to put personal combat clones in the training simulator anyways?"

"..."

"..."

"...Kujo?"

"Probably."

"Ugh, of course!" Ryou threw his hands in the air while still gripping his half-broken sword. "Man, that dude really knows how to ruin a guys day."

"I think it's safe to assume that it's his hobby...at least whenever he isn't experimenting and cross-breeding monsters." Yamato noted as he walked past his pupil. With Ryou himself just taking a glance at his sword, sighing at the thought of getting it replaced...again.

"Anyways, Ryou..."

"Hmm?" Ryou turned around to face Yamato, who still had his back to him.

"If you really want to become a hero, then never, under any circumstance, underestimate your enemy." Yamato gave some sagely advice as he turned his head to Ryou. "Even if you think you're the strongest, there is always, ALWAYS, going to be someone stronger."

Ryou closed his eyes for a moment and chuckled to himself. "You worry too much Teach." Ryou opened his eyes and jabbed a thumb to his chest with a cocky smile. "Even if there is someone stronger at every corner, then I'm just gonna show them who's top dog!"

"...At least your determined." Yamato smirked back and turned back to the exit. "Anyways, head back to your barracks and rest up. I'll be gone for the rest of the week, and when I come back, you better be ready, willing, and able!"

"Gotcha!" Ryou walked to the exit alongside Yamato. "Night Teach... Oh, also, good luck with the promotion to A-Class!"

"Thanks. I'm going to need it." Yamato replied as he went down one end of the hall outside of the training room, while Ryou went the other way.

Ryou stretched his arms and breathed a tired, yet content sigh as he casually strolled down the pale blue, metallic hallway with a huge grin on his face.

Here he was, standing in LOGINs current headquarters, recruited as a C-rank trainee, and he couldn't be more excited. Granted, the training so far was pretty grueling, what with waking up at around 4 in the morning, training simulations involving either hunting down impossibly rare items or exterminating dangerous monsters, doing an excessive amount of drills involving 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 kilometer run every day...cleaning the bathrooms with only a toothbrush.

Regardless, all Ryou cared about right now is that after years of waiting, he was officially part of the best of the best Gameindustri has to offer. He couldn't thank Yamato enough for recommending him to the big boss Hideyoshi, he'll always be grateful to his mentor for that, even if he doesn't show it. And he really doesn't mind all the harsh training. In fact, he enjoys it quite a bit. Everytime his muscles ache, his bones creak and becomes covered in sweat and (sometimes) blood, he takes it as a mark of progress to his dream.

"Heh, even if what Teach says is true, I'll just keep on trucking and beat anything and everything that comes at me. And if they do happen to be stronger, then hey, more fun for me!"

(Music Fades)

Flash forward to present. Nameless Ruins Outskirts  


"Haa...Haa...Haa..."

"...Whew, I think this is probably far enough." Neptune remarked as Nepgear and Hikaru tried to catch their breath from running so far with Uzume in toe. Neptune turned her head backwards to see for any on-coming enemies, though fortunately there weren't any in the immediate area. "Doesn't look like we've been followed either."

"Haa... that's a relief. Haa...Haa...at least we managed to get away while we still could." Hikaru commented.

"Urg! Let me go, dammit!" Uzume shouted as she finally broke free from the groups hold on her. "You idiots, getting in the way like that...How could you...?" Uzume quickly dusted herself off as she glared at the Planeptune sisters. "You two know that a CPU's sworn duty is to protect her people, right? So why the hell did ya-!?"

"Hey, Uzume. You're alive! A CPU also kinda need to be alive to keep doing her job, ya know." Neptune told the irritated tomboy CPU.

"Yeah, well what about Ryou, huh!? You all practically left him for dead back there! How could you just-!?" Uzume wanted to say more to them, but her words were cut off when she felt a light tug on her jacket. Turning her head, she sees Hikaru looked to her calmly.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the boy cut her off as he spoke to her first. "Have faith in him."

"Huh?" Seeing her confusion, Hikaru straightened himself out before continuing.

"He promised he would return right? To be honest, I haven't known him for very long...but, I believe he isn't the type of person to break his word. So please Uzume, just try to believe in him."

"Hikarsy..."

"Yep, he's right Uzume!" Neptune shouted. "You heard what he said back there. He could die, even if he was killed!"

"We know you're worried about him. In fact, we all feel the same way." Nepgear spoke up as she took a breath. "But for now, please, just stay calm and have faith. He'll make it out alive, I just know it.

"You guys..." Uzume looked to her new allies, each of them confident that the former agent would come back alive. She sighed to herself whilst scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, I guess you're all right...I guess I should be thankful, so thanks. And sorry for snapping at y'all like that. It's just... *sigh* it's been so long since I've seen him, ya know. And when we finally meet again after all this time, he just goes off and act as bait for the Giant while I just run away like a coward?"

Neptune walked up to her and gave her a pat on the back with a cheery smile. "Hey, chin up there pal! Everything's gonna be alright!" Neptune reassures as she scratches her cheek with a goofy smile. "Also,don't sweat it. I get yelled at by Histy all the time, so it's no big deal. " She said as Nepgear chuckled half-heartedly at her sisters comment, with Hikaru tilting his head quizzically. "Anyways, you just wait. Ryou is gonna come barreling here like-"

"...!"

*BOOOOOOM*

"Whoa!"

The group of four staggered in place as the sound of an explosion came to their ears.

"What the Nep was that!?"

"W-Wait, that came from...!"

(BGM playing: attack ON titan- From Attack on Titan...duh)

They all turned around to face the city to see the giant firing lasers and energy balls haphazardly around the city.

*KABOOOM*

One such energy ball hit directly onto a buildings rooftop, decimating it in one fell-swoop, with what looks like a small black dot jumping out of the smoke and landing on a falling piece of debris.

"Wait, is that Ryou?" Uzume said as the giant aimed its hand to the small dot and fired, the dot quickly jumping from platform to platform to avoid its attacks.

"Yep, that's definitely him! No one else can move that fast like he can!" Neptune proclaimed. "Man, look at him go! Platforming like a Italian Plumber on shrooms!"

"...Why a plumber?" Hikaru asked with question marks hanging over his head.

"Never mind that! Now that we are all here, we need to contact him so he can escape!"

"Gearsy right! Anyone got a plan?"

"Oh oh, I got one!"

"You do Nepsy?"

"Yep!" Neptune turned to Hikaru and pointed to him. "Yo kid, ya recharged on mana?"

"Huh? Umm, yes. I recovered some while we were running. Why?"

"Great!" Neptune then turned to the city and pointed straight at the sky. "Hikaru, use fireball to make a signal flare!"

"Ummm...Lady Neptune, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Huh!? Why not!" Neptune whined.

"Sorry to say, but Hikarsy's right. If we try to make a flare, the giant will spot it too and zero in on us."

"Oh? Oh! ...Oooooh." Neptune frowned as she slowly, but certainly realized that it was a bad idea. "Well, so much for that idea."

"Alright everybody! Lets just focus and brainstorm a way to contact him without giving away our position!" Uzume yelled. All four party members gathered around and each got into a thinking position (well...in Neptunes case, tried to).

Now the question for them is: How are they going to contact Ryou that they are all alright without drawing the Giants attention?

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I got it!"

Everyone's attention turned to Nepgear as she digged through the pockets of her sailor suit and pulled out her N-Gear. Uzume and Hikaru just look confused, but Neptune almost immediately knew what her sister had in mind the instant she pulled it out.

"Oh, good thinking Nep jr.! Quick, send Ryou a text so he can get outta there!"

"I'm on it!"

Nepgear looked through her N-Gear and quickly found Ryous cell-phone number. Wasting no time, she gave him a quick text and just as she was about to press send, she looked at the upper right hand corner of the screen and saw that she has a weak connection out here, leaving only a slight chance Ryou would get it.

She shook her head in an attempt to erase any doubt from her mind. She can't afford to hesitate now, not with Ryous life on the line.

"Alright. Let's hope this works...Send!"

*Press*

* * *

"...!"

*BOOM*

"Shit!"

As the Giant continued to open fire on him, Ryou ran and jumped from platform to platform, narrowly dodging it's devastation attacks, until he eventually high jumped and landed on it's outstretched arm.

Ryou turned his gaze to the giants head and gave it a death glare.

"Damn, this thing's a lot stronger than I thought...ugh, almost makes me wish I listened to Yamato more often."

The giant turned its head to him and reached it's open arm to try and catch him.

"Tch! Not a chance!"

*ZOOOOM*

Before it had a chance to grab him, Ryou used Acceleration to zip up it's arm and quickly jumped off it's shoulder with his sword upraised.

"Gotcha!" Wasting no time, Ryou charged his sword with lightning and drove his sword straight down on it's head. "Lightning Blade!"

*Bonk*

"HUH!?"

However, as he landed a direct blow, the attack completely bounced off the giant and causing Ryou to rebound off it and sent him flying into one of its open palms. Seeing this, he used his quick reflexes to use the palm as a platform and kick himself off and away and onto a falling piece of debris before it could close its palm on him.

Ryou then quickly jumped from platform to platform again to get a bit of distance from the giant until he jumped off and made a rough landing on the streets below. He quickly got back up on his feet and looked to where he struck the giant on the head. To his dismay, his attack just now didn't so anything to the giant as it slowly turned to him.

"Not even a scratch! The hell is this thing made of!?"

*GLING*

"Huh?"

Ryou was cut off when he heard his phone go off in his pocket.

"Ugh, who the hell is trying to text me now!?

"...!"

"Oh crap!"

*ZOOOOOM!*

(BGM fades)

Seeing the giant throw another volley at him, Ryou accelerated out of the on-coming attack and hid behind a nearby building to try and get out of its sights. Frustrated, he quickly dug his phone out of his pants to see what it was.

"This better be important...I'm kind of in a tight spot right now."

Flipping it open, Ryou was greeted with a simple text message. it read;

[Ryou. We've made it out of the ruins. Please, get out of there while you still can. -Nepgear]

"Well...way to say 'heads up' Gear." Ryou lightly chuckled as he poked a head out to see the giant as it scans the whole area for him. "Now, the million credit question is, how am I going to get away from this thing without it following me?" Ryou leaned his back to the building and cupped his chin, pondering on what to do next.

If he tries to sneak off, it'll probably tear down what's left of this place just to find him and possibly the others. He's going to have to think of a way to get this thing off his tail without risking that much...but how?

"Hmmm." Then, like a light-bulb springing on in his head, a sly grin came upon his features as he turned his gaze back to the giant. "I think I got an idea. hehehehe."

*ZOOOOOM*

Ryou quickly zipped back into the middle of the streets and did a bit of stretching as the giant had its back turned to him.

"Alright, if I can time this just right...Hey!" Ryou hollered out.

"...!" The giant slowly turned to the sound of his voice and looked straight at him, her form easily towering over his.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! Now you better dig the wax out of those huge ears of yours and listen, cause I got something to tell ya!" Ryou drew his weapon out in it's broadsword state and pointed it straight at the giant with a huge grin on his face. "You think you're all that just 'cause you 50 something meter's tall and can spam lasers, huh? Well, guess what...you're not! Why?" Ryou jabs a thumb to his chest and rested his sword onto his shoulder. "Because I'm gonna be the one that kicks your giant ass to the curb! You can't beat me. You can't even hit me! So give it yer best shot while you can, 'cause once this hero starts going, he can't be stopped!"

Finishing his taunt/boast, Ryou raised his sword to the sky and took a stance, getting ready for anything the giant throws at him.

("Alright, now all I gotta do is wait for it to make a move and make it look like it got me. Once it sees I'm 'dead', it'll just go away and I get to walk away scott free.") Ryou smirked confidently as he awaited the giants attack.

"Haahahahahaha~! You're going to regret that, boy!"

"Hmm!?" Ryou frantically turned his gaze in all directions, trying to find the source of the voice. "Hey! Who's-!"

"Dark Goddess! Put this imbecile in his place and show him your full wrath!"

"...!"

"Huh!?"

Heeding the voices command, an ominous dark aura began to envelop the giant, the ground shaking beneath it's feet. It began to gather energy into its left hand as it is placed on its hip, looking as if it were gripping the scabbard of a sword. All of a sudden, what seemed like a large sword hilt formed in front of the left hand as it reached for it with its right. The giant placed a firm grip on the handle and forcefully drew it out, and out came a burst of energy flowing out of the guard before reforming into one solid mass in the shape of a black and purple beam blade.

"Welp...that's a first!" Ryou commented, genuinely surprised as the giant took a stance of its own and raised its beam katana high above its head. The giant then gathered an enormous amount of energy around it and began channeling it into its beam katana, the blade itself growing twice, almost three times in length and width, now big enough to split the ruins in half and then some.

"Tch! This is gonna be really close- huh!?" Ryous caught something out of the corner of his eye. A shadowed figure standing right on top of the giants left shoulder. The only things he could make out were that the figure was wearing what looked like a cloak and a witches hat.

"What in the-?"

"Now Dark Goddess..." The figured lifted a finger and quickly brought it down, straight in Ryous direction. "Strike him down!"

"...Moonless Sky..."

"Huh!? Wait, did it just-!?" Before he could finish, the Giant brought the massive blade down at Ryou like a guillotine.

"OH SHI-!"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The instant the blade hit the ground, a gargantuan veil of black and purple energy erupted upwards to the sky, the blast extending far past the ruins and beyond. The entire horizon was completely clouded in the blast as the energy continues to rise before dissipating into the sky entirely. As the dust settled, the city and beyond was rend asunder, a deep scar embedded into the land reaching far and wide, and with it several more cracks, the same ones found in the city and sky, ran along the edges.

The giant stood in the middle of the city stoically, as the figure on its shoulder smirked triumphantly.

"Hmph, pathetic. After all that talk, he was just squashed like any other maggot." The figured scanned the city and then to the horizon, her smirk shifting to a scowl. "Ugh, Uzume and those brats managed to get away...no matter. They will be dealt with soon enough. Hahahahahaaa."

*POOF*

The figure vanished in a puff of black smoke as the Giant began to levitate off the ground, going higher and higher into the sky until it was far above the city. It gathered more dark energy around itself and took off like a jet, off onto the horizon.

Back down in the ruins, everything was still and silent. Not a single sign of life anywhere to be seen.

...or so it would seem.

Several minutes passed, and a nearby pile of rubble began to stir, as something from within began to push and dig its way out. Then, in a second, the entire pile was split in two from the inside out with a broadsword, revealing Ryou, very much alive, albeit slightly injured.

He lifted his broadsword and placed it on top his shoulder and gave a hefty sigh. "Man, that was close. If I had dashed a little late, I would've been toast." He looked to his side, right at the gaping chasm that used to be the street he was standing in, and then trailed to down to see how far it reached. "*Whistle* Yep, this thing is no joke at all if it can do that."

He sheathed his sword and began dusting himself off as he took a better look at his surroundings, making sure the giant was nowhere to be seen.

"Alright, the coast is clear." He stretched his legs and was preparing to sprint out of the city. "Now, gotta get back to the others. No doubt, they're jaws must be dropping after seeing that little display."

*ZOOOOOOOOM!*

* * *

"..."

"..."

"...OK, what the nep just happened!?"

"That..." Uzume pointed out "That is what I've been fighting all this time."

"Holy wow...that things kinda terrifying." Neptune stated as Nepgear and Hikaru looked at the destruction of the giants attack, eyes and mouths wide open in shock.

Neptune was not wrong in that statement. What they had just witnessed really was nothing short of terrifying. The Giant just got done literally tear the landscape ahead asunder with one attack. It was so powerful, it could be felt for miles, and the energy it gave off didn't even disappear immediately, but rather it hung in the air for several seconds before dissipating into the sky.

Nepgear, Neptune and all their friends and allies have fought many villans and monsters in the past, but this thing was in a league of its own. Granted, it may not be as strong as say, Cyan Heart at her most powerful, but what it can do is more than enough to be labeled as a world-ending threat.

It goes without saying that the group really has it cut out for them this time. Especially considering that Ryou was in the epicenter of the atta-

"OH SNAP, THAT'S RIGHT!" Neptune screamed. "Nep Jr.! Check your N-Gear and see if you got a message back from Ryou!"

"Huh!? Oh, r-right!"

Quickly pulling her N-gear back out, Nepgear scrolled through her messages as the rest of the group came right next to her.

"Anything Gearsy?"

"No. Not even a text back...but just in case."

[Ryou, if you're there, please text me back to let us know you're alright.]

*Send*

"I'm really hoping he gets this one." Nepgear sighed as they all patiently awaited a reply. Neptune looked mildly worried, Uzume was putting up a tough front but anyone could tell that she was anxious of Ryous current whereabouts, and Hikaru clasped his hands together, silently praying for his safe return.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

[Ryou, are you there?]

*Send*

"..."

"..."

"..."

("C'mon Ryou. Answer the damned phone.") Uzume thought. Each second began to felt like hours as they patiently await.

[Ryou, please! Answer me!]

*Send*

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

*GLING*

"I got a message!" Nepgear shouted.

"Well, what does it say Nepgear?"

"Let's see...Huh?"

"L-Lady Nepgear? Is something wrong?" Hikaru asked as he sees the confusion in the Candidates face. He, Uzume and Neptune walked up behind Nepgear and peered over her shoulder and took a look for themselves. the message reads:

[I'm right here.]

"Huh?" They looked to eachother and then back to the text confused as Nepgear texted back:

[What do you mean? Where are you?]

*SEND*

"..."

*GLING*

[Guys, turn around.]

"Huh?" understandably confused, all four party members turned their heads around...

"Yo." Only to see Ryou right behind them, holding his phone in one hand and a peace sign in another.

"WAAAAAH!"

(BGM playing: Scene- From Megadimension Neptunia VII)

"Ow, my ears!" Ryou covered his ears as everyone else screamed and stepped back from him, with Nepgear and Hikaru even patting their chests where their hearts should be. "Geez, could you girls scream any louder?" Uzume looked to him with a blank expression, then it slowly shifted to an annoyed one as she walked up to Ryou and punched him in the shoulder. "Ow, hey! What was that for!?"

"Y-You jackass! Don't do that!" Uzume huffed "I just about popped outta my cloths from that!"

"Yeah, way to give us a jump-scare Ryou..." Neptune chimed in not too pleased. "Wait, Ryou? Ryou! You're alive!" She then proceeded to leap toward him in an attempt to give him a big hug. Seeing it a mile away, Ryou casually side-stepped out of Neptunes way and simply watched as she darted past him and planted herself into the ground face first.

As the former LOGIN agent rolled his eyes, closed his phone and shoved it in his pocket, he turned to the mini crash-site, only to blush a little in annoyance as Neptunes blue and white stripped panties were in full view, all the while Neptune herself struggled to get her head out of the ground. With one strong push, her head popped out of the ground and looked to Ryou, looking more than a little peeved.

"Hey buster, what's the big idea!? You were suppose to catch me!"

"Pfft, yeah, fat chance of that happening Nep." Ryou then turned to the other three part members. "So, y'all alright?"

"Hey! Don't just ignore me!"

"Yeah, we're alright, for the most part anyways." Uzume said.

"Yes, thankfully we didn't run into any monsters on our way out of the city." Nepgear explained.

"Although, we're all more worried about you, Ryou. Are you alright?" Hikaru asked. "That Giants attack didn't hurt you, did it?"

"Nope. Nada. I just got the hell outta the way and got out of its sights long enough for it to go away. I'm fine."

"Really?" The young village boy inspected him for a bit. "Because you actually don't look too good."

"Now that Hikaru mentioned it, you look a little shooken up. Are you sure you're alright?" Nepgear asked.

"Who, me? Nah!" He bluffed "It's no biggie. I dodged that last attack without breaking a sweat." Ryou boasted as he waved it off. Though in reality, Ryou was just about a step away from crapping his pants when the Giants attack came crashing down... not that any of them would know that of course.

"There ya have it, Uzume. He came back A-OK! So their is nothing to worry about!" Neptune chimed in, although she "subtlety" stare at Ryou in slight annoyance.

"Yeah, that's a relief." Uzume sighed, taking solace in the fact that Ryou came back to them alive and well.

"Well, now that we are all here, is there any place we could rest...?" Nepgear asked, getting everyones attention. "We've all taken a bit of a beating, and with Hikaru still low on mana, we're going to have to find a place to tend to our injuries..."

"Hmm." Uzume turned on her heel and looked back to the city. "It looks like that last attack didn't even get near my base, and with the Giant gone for now, it should be safe to head back."

"Good call Uzume. There are barely any monsters in that part of the city and you had a lot of supplies there, so that should be our best bet." Ryou said as he rotated his right shoulder clock-wise. "Besides, after those waves of enemies and dodging that Giants attack, I'm about ready to catch some z's. Hehe, man it's actually been a while since I got this kinda work-out."

"Alright, that settles things." Uzume shouted whilst jabbing her right fist into her left palm. "We'll head back to base for now, and once we're all ready, we'll head on out to the next town over to rendezvous with Umio and the others."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ryou agreed.

"Welp, what are we all waiting for? Let's get going!" Not bothering to wait for anyone else, Neptune rushed on ahead of everyone else.

"Wait for us Nepsy!"

"Lady Neptune!"

"Don't leave us behind sister!"

"Hey, slow down, ya loony!"

Everyone yelled as they all ran to catch up with the hyperactive goddess. As everyone made their way back to Uzumes current home base, Ryou couldn't help but contemplate his current situation.

Where are they, really? How are they going to get back? How did Uzume end up in a place like this? Where did that Giant come from, and just who in the hell was that person he saw earlier?

All these questions and more, and he doesn't even have a single answer, which right now is really getting on his nerves.

...But he can't say it's all that bad. If anything, this kind of thing is just what he needed after getting laid off a week back. That and there have been some really good things too.

He got a new kickass sword, reunited with his long-lost friend Uzume, is now a mentor to a smart if pretty naive country boy, and who knows what kind of exciting challenges wait ahead for him.

Granted, he has the unfortunate pleasure of having to deal with Neptune, but she has her moments, and he can at least count on Nepgear to keep the idiot CPU from doing anything weird.

"Heh. Things are getting a lot more interesting."


	19. Update

Author- Were still here, been busy with a lot of stuff. The next chapter should be out very soon, any suggestions for the fic so far? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Should it stay as an M rating or should it go back to a T. Give us some feedback, I got a request to add the DLC neptunia characters from a reader and yes I am planning to indeed do that. Ok well see you all soon. Stay frosty.


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